Mankby

In August 1556 a village of six farms was abandoned in Espoo in Southern Finland. Mankby, as the village was called, had been a prosperous dwelling place since the 13th century, but all this changed when king Gustav Vasa decided to found a royal demesne nearby and incorporated the fields of Mankby in the new estate. During a rapid desertion process, the peasants moved to new homes, and the old village plot became uninhabited until this day. During seven years of excavations, 2007–2013, archaeologists from Helsinki University and Espoo City Museum have unveiled remains of the village of Mankby. Mankby. A Deserted Medieval Village on the Coast of Southern Finland presents the results of this research, shedding light on many different aspects of medieval life. The main excavated structures, the results of the scientific analyses and the artefacts found during the excavations are presented in this volume, as well as the medieval settlement structure of the region and its prehistoric predecessors. Mankby has shown to be one of the best preserved village sites in Southern Finland, and the research on this site has updated our view on medieval peasants and their life conditions. The studies discuss new aspects on dwellings, contacts, trade, subsistence, diet and social structures. The village and its rich find material reflects the historic phenomena of its time: the medieval Swedish colonisation of the Finnish coast, the influence of the Hanseatic League and the dawn of early modern society. The results of the research in Mankby offer both micro-historic glimpses into the past and insights into the larger picture of history.