Editing Turku (section)

===Early history===

Settlement in the Turku area is relatively recent, as the Southwestern Finland remained below sea level for an extended period due to the [[Last Glacial Period|Ice Age]]. Due to [[tectonic uplift]], the Turku region transformed from an outlying [[archipelago]] to a shoreline during 3000-2000 BCE. The area was densely populated during the [[Iron Age]] as it was the most important agricultural region in the region.<ref name="Lahtinen2015_9">[[#Lahtine2015|Lahtinen (2015)]], pp. 9</ref> Ancient cemeteries dating from 550 to 1150 have been discovered in the region. Some cemeteries were utilized during the initial migratory phase, while some were solely utilized during the Viking Age, and others were established in the 12th century. There are also remains of houses and villages and old forts from the late Iron Age.<ref>{{Cite book |first1=Ella |last1=Kivikoski |first2=C. J. |last2=Cardberg |title=Turun kaupungin historia – Kivikaudesta vuoteen 1366 |year=1971 |location=Turku |publisher=City of Turku |language=fi }}</ref>

According to legend, the English [[Henry (bishop of Finland)|bishop Henry]] baptised the first Finns into Christianity in 1150. However, the first Christian graves date from the 10th and 11th centuries, and the first archaeological evidence of a church dates from the 12th century.<ref name="Lahtinen2015_11">[[#Lahtine2015|Lahtinen (2015)]], pp. 11</ref> In the 11th century, the Turku region began to develop as a port.<ref name="Lahtinen2015_9"/> The oldest known road, [[Hämeen Härkätie|Hämeen härkätie]], connected to region and the [[Old Castle of Lieto]] to [[Tavastia (historical province)|Tavastia]] in the 9th century at the latest.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Masonen |first=Jaakko |title=Hämeen Härkätie |publisher=Otava |year=1991 |isbn=951-1-11421-2 |location=Helsinki |pages=186–190 }}</ref> Early literary sources such as [[Tabula Rogeriana|Al-Idrisi's world map from 1154]] mentions Turku.<ref name="earlyhistory">[https://www.turku.fi/ensimmaisena-turussa Suomen historian merkkipaaluja: Ensimmäisenä Turussa] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430072659/https://www.turku.fi/ensimmaisena-turussa |date=30 April 2021 }} (in Finnish)</ref>