Vantaa discovery: 5,000-year-old Stone Age burial found by teenager

A nearly 5,000-year-old Stone Age burial has been discovered in Kuninkaalal, Vantaa. The find was made in June by 13-year-old Luca Anttila while he was building a shelter in the forest.

The discovery included fragments of ceramic vessels and a stone axe blade. The significance of the items was realized months later when Luca’s mother, Krista Anttila, recognized similar artifacts in an exhibition at the Vantaa City Museum and contacted the Finnish Heritage Agency.

Archaeologist Andreas Koivisto suggests the burial may date back to the Neolithic period, specifically the Comb Ceramic or Hammer Stone culture. This marks a significant event for Finnish archaeology, as the last burial from this era studied in Finland was in 19Myyrmäe in 1986. Researchers hope to use modern analytical methods to extract Stone Age DNA or analyze organic remains from the soil and pottery fragments.