Editing History of Finland (section)

===Chronology of languages in Finland===
[[File:Kierikki Stone Age Centre Oulu Finland 03.jpg|thumb|220px|Stone Age dwelling named [[Kierikki]] 5000–3000 BC]]
The question of the timelines for the evolution and the spreading of the current Finnic languages is controversial, and new theories challenging older ones have been introduced continuously.

It was for a long time widely{{dubious|date=October 2021}} believed<ref>Article by professor of History of Religions Juha Pentikäinen at Virtual Finland {{cite web |url=http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=25814 |title=The Ancient Religion of the Finns — Virtual Finland |access-date=5 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125223617/http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=25814 |archive-date=25 January 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Rein Taagepera|title=The Finno-Ugric Republics and the Russian State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QGqWcZu42hUC&pg=PA32|year=1999|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-91977-7|page=32|access-date=29 October 2015|archive-date=23 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023215325/https://books.google.com/books?id=QGqWcZu42hUC&pg=PA32#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>The common acceptance of the theory is indicated by the fact that this is the theory currently presented by the National Board of Antiquities in Finland, and several schools: E.g. [http://www.nba.fi/fi/skm_opetus_esihist_tulost_0 Tietoa Suomen esihistoriasta] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930165129/http://www.nba.fi/fi/skm_opetus_esihist_tulost_0 |date=30 September 2007 }}. Museovirasto. Retrieved 20 March 2008. {{in lang|fi}}, [http://hyl.edu.hel.fi/sivut/comenius/suomi/sfinfact.html SUOMEN ASUTUS- JA SIIRTOLAISUUSHISTORIA- PROJEKTI COMENIUS MIGRATION PROJEKTI] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030805005315/http://hyl.edu.hel.fi/sivut/comenius/suomi/sfinfact.html |date=5 August 2003 }}. City of Helsinki. Retrieved 20 March 2008. {{in lang|fi}}.</ref> that [[Finno-Ugric languages|Finno-Ugric]] (the western branch of the [[Uralic languages|Uralic]]) languages were first spoken in Finland and the adjacent areas during the Comb Ceramic period, around 4000 BC at the latest. During the 2nd millennium BC these evolved—possibly under an Indo-European (most likely Baltic) influence—into [[Proto-Samic language|proto-Sami]] (inland) and [[Proto-Finnic language|Proto-Finnic]] (coastland). In contrast, A. Aikio and J. Häkkinen propose that the Finno-Ugric languages arrived in the Gulf of Finland area during the Late Bronze Age. Valter Lang has proposed that the Finnic and Saami languages arrived there in the early Bronze Age, possibly connected to the [[Seima-Turbino phenomenon]].<ref>Ante Aikio 2006: On Germanic-Saami contacts and Saami prehistory. – ''Journal de la Société Finno-Ougrienne'' 91: 9–55.</ref><ref name="Kallio 2006">Petri Kallio 2006: Suomalais-ugrilaisen kantakielen absoluuttisesta kronologiasta. – ''Virittäjä'' 2006.</ref><ref name="Hakkinen 2009">Jaakko Häkkinen 2009: Kantauralin ajoitus ja paikannus: perustelut puntarissa – ''Journal de la Société Finno-Ougrienne'' 2009;92:9–56. https://www.sgr.fi/susa/92/hakkinen.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023215330/https://www.sgr.fi/susa/92/hakkinen.pdf |date=23 October 2023 }}</ref> This would also imply that Finno-Ugric languages in Finland were preceded by a Northwestern [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] language, at least to the extent the latter can be associated with the Cord Ceramic culture, as well as by hitherto unknown [[Paleo-European languages]].<ref name="Hakkinen 2009" /> The center of expansion for the Proto-Finnic language is posited to have been located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland.<ref name="Hakkinen 2009" /><ref>Saarikivi, Janne & Grünthal, Riho 2005: Itämerensuomalaisten kielten uralilainen tausta. – Johanna Vaattovaara, Toni Suutari, Hanna Lappalainen & Riho Grünthal (toim.),''Muuttuva muoto: Kirjoituksia Tapani Lehtisen 60-vuotispäivän kunniaksi''. Kieli 16. Helsinki: Helsingin yliopiston suomen kielen laitos. 111–146.</ref> The Finnish language is thought to have started to differentiate during the Iron Age starting from the earliest centuries of the Common Era.

Cultural influences from a variety of places are visible in the Finnish archaeological finds from the very first settlements onwards. For example, archaeological finds from Finnish Lapland suggest the presence of the [[Komsa culture]] from Norway. The Sujala finds, which are equal in age with the earliest Komsa artifacts, may also suggest a connection to the [[Swiderian culture]].<ref>PEOPLE, MATERIAL CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT IN THE NORTH Proceedings of the 22nd Nordic Archaeological Conference, University of Oulu, 18–23 August 2004 Edited by Vesa-Pekka Herva GUMMERUS KIRJAPAINO [http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514281411/isbn9514281411.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194910/http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514281411/isbn9514281411.pdf|date=3 March 2016}}</ref> Southwestern Finland belonged to the [[Nordic Bronze Age]], which may be associated with Indo-European languages, and according to Finnish Germanist Jorma Koivulehto speakers of [[Proto-Germanic]] language in particular. Artifacts found in [[Uusikaupunki|Kalanti]] and the province of [[Satakunta]], which have long been monolingually Finnish, and their place names have made several scholars argue for an existence of a proto-Germanic speaking population component a little later, during the Early and Middle Iron Age.<ref>[http://www.kotikielenseura.fi/virittaja/hakemistot/jutut/2002_309.pdf Suomi, Häme Ja Satakunta] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210172540/http://www.kotikielenseura.fi/virittaja/hakemistot/jutut/2002_309.pdf|date=10 February 2012}} </ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ts.fi/agricola/?ts=1,3:1121:0:0,4:121:2:1:2007-12-11,104:121:504183,1:0:0:0:0:0:|title=Turun Sanomat}}{{dead link|date=August 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The Swedish colonisation of the [[Åland|Åland Islands]], [[Turku]] archipelago and [[Uusimaa]] could possibly have started in the 12th century but reached its height in the 13th and 14th centuries, when it also affected the Eastern Uusimaa and [[Ostrobothnia (historical province)|Ostrobothnia]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://folktinget.fi/en/swedish_in_finland/ |title=Swedish in Finland |publisher=The [[Swedish Assembly of Finland]] |date=17 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305034652/http://folktinget.fi/en/swedish_in_finland/ |archive-date=5 March 2017 |access-date=4 March 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Muinaisuutemme jäljet |first1=Georg |last1=Haggren  |first2=Petri |last2=Halinen |first3=Mika |last3=Lavento |first4=Sami |last4=Raninen |first5=Anna |last5=Wessman |publisher=Gaudeamus |year=2015 |location=Helsinki}}</ref> The oldest Swedish place names in Finland are from this period<ref>{{Cite book|title=Nimistötutkimuksen perusteet |first1=Terhi |last1=Ainiala |first2=Minna |last2=Saarelma |first3=Paula |last3=Sjöblom |publisher=Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura |year=2008 |location=Helsinki}}</ref> as well as the [[Swedish-speaking population of Finland]].<ref name=":0" />