Another seminar on the older history of Estonian Swedes

(Image removed) Archeologist and writer Jonathan Lindström giving a lecture at IRES

During the spring, we have devoted a few seminars to the older history of the Estonian Swedes - a disputed and complex issue to conduct research on. The subject, undoubtedly, has sparked great interest, something we understood already at the latest seminar. When the archeologist and writer Jonathan Lindström visited IRES on April 24, a large audience gathered again to listen to his lecture "Trade, looting and colonization - Scandinavians in northwestern Estonia 550 - 1565". The lecture was devoted to, among other things, how contacts and communication in older times developed around the Baltic Sea. With maps and tables and with a special focus on Ormsö, Jonathan highlighted the older settlement history. The colonization of Ormsö, according to his research, originated on Öland. With the crusades, an organized colonization of Ormsö, then to Nuckö and Eyland, took place in the 13th and 14th centuries. One issue that was raised, among other things, was how to determine ethnicity at archaeological sites. Perhaps it was Estonian seasonal fisherman who stayed at Nuckö during the Middle Ages. For example, there are no DNA studies that could possibly answer such questions. Around 30 seminar participants posed quite a few questions with the discussion going on for a long time.