Editing Finland (section)

===Prehistory===
{{Main|History of Finland#Prehistory}}
[[File:Kivikautinen karhunpäänuija.jpg|thumb|right|Stone Age bear head gavel found in [[Paltamo]], Kainuu<ref>Haggrén et al. 2015, p. 109.</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.finna.fi/Record/musketti.M012:KM13275:1#image| title = eläinpääase; karhunpäänuija| work = Museovirasto| language = fi| access-date = 30 November 2017| archive-date = 1 December 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035941/https://www.finna.fi/Record/musketti.M012:KM13275:1#image| url-status = live}}</ref>]] [[File:Pre-Finno-Ugric.png|thumb|Languages of Finland in the early iron age.]]The area that is now Finland was settled in, at the latest, around 8,500 BC during the [[Stone Age]] towards the end of the [[last glacial period]]. The [[Artifact (archaeology)|artefacts]] the first settlers left behind present characteristics that are shared with those found in [[Estonia]], Russia, and Norway.<ref name=":1">[http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514281411/isbn9514281411.pdf Herkules.oulu.fi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194910/http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514281411/isbn9514281411.pdf |date=3 March 2016 }}. ''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.</ref> The earliest people were [[hunter-gatherer]]s, using stone tools.<ref name="VF-Pre">Pirjo Uino of the National Board of Antiquities, ThisisFinland—"Prehistory: The ice recedes—man arrives". Retrieved 24 June 2008.</ref>

The first pottery appeared in 5200&nbsp;BC, when the [[Comb Ceramic culture]] was introduced.<ref name="Hist-Fin-Geo">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071123072314/http://www.geocities.com/ojoronen/EARLYFIN.HTM History of Finland and the Finnish People from stone age to WWII]. Retrieved 24 June 2008.</ref> The area of present-day Finland was in the western limits of the culture, which produced pottery with a distinct [[Comb Ceramic|comb pattern]].{{sfn|Kirby|2006|p=2}} The arrival of the [[Corded Ware culture]] in the south of coastal Finland between 3000 and 2500 BC may have coincided with the start of agriculture.<ref name="Virt-Mino">Professor Frank Horn of the Northern Institute for Environmental and the Minority Law University of Lappland writing for Virtual Finland on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080611022047/http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=26470 National Minorities of Finland]. Retrieved 24 June 2008.</ref> Even with the introduction of agriculture, hunting and fishing continued to be important parts of the subsistence economy.

Based upon linguistic evidence, Finland seems to have been primarily inhabited by speakers of [[Paleo-European languages|Paleo-European]] languages prior to the migration of the Finno-Ugric peoples, which influenced the [[Sámi languages|Saami languages]] who were the first Finno-Ugric peoples to move towards Finland. These languages have been divided into [[Paleo-Laplandic languages]] which was spoken around Lappland, and the Lakelandic languages spoken in most of modern-day Finland.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Aikio |first=Ante |year=2012 |title=An Essay on Saami Ethnolinguistic Prehistory |url=https://www.sgr.fi/sust/sust266/sust266_aikio.pdf |journal=Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia/Mémoires de la Société Finno-Ougrienne |location=Helsinki |issue=266 |pages=63–117}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Aikio |first=Ante |url=https://www.academia.edu/4811770 |title=Etymologie, Entlehnungen und Entwicklungen: Festschrift für Jorma Koivulehto zum 70. Geburtstag |year=2004 |editor1=Irma Hyvärinen |series=Mémoires de la Société Néophilologique de Helsinki |volume=63 |location=Helsinki |pages=5–34 |chapter=An Essay on Substrate Studies and the Origin of Saami |editor2=Petri Kallio |editor3=Jarmo Korhonen |via=www.academia.edu}}</ref> Many toponyms in Finland such as Inari, Saimaa, Päijänne and Imatra seem to derive from these Paleo-European languages, as their etymologies are not explainable by either Indo-European or Finno-Ugric roots.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 January 2018 |title=Saimaa |url=https://kotus.fi/sana/saimaa/ |access-date=25 May 2025 |website=Kotus |language=fi}}</ref>

In the [[Bronze Age]], permanent all-year-round cultivation and [[animal husbandry]] spread, but the cold climate slowed the change.<ref name=":2">{{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 |pages=199, 210–211}}</ref> The [[Seima-Turbino phenomenon]] brought the first bronze artefacts to the region and possibly also the [[Finno-Ugric languages]].<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{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|pages=171–178}}</ref> Commercial contacts that had so far mostly been to Estonia started to extend to Scandinavia. Domestic manufacture of bronze artefacts started 1300 BC.<ref>{{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|pages=189–190}}</ref>
[[File:Northern Europe in 814.jpg|thumb|[[Baltic Finnic peoples]] in the 9th century AD]]
In the [[Iron Age]], population grew. [[Finland Proper]] was the most densely populated area. Commercial contacts in the [[Baltic Sea]] region grew and extended during the eighth and ninth centuries. Main exports from Finland were furs, slaves, [[castoreum]], and falcons to European courts. Imports included silk and other fabrics, jewelry, [[Ulfberht swords]], and, in lesser extent, glass. Production of iron started approximately in 500 BC.<ref>{{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 |pages=332, 364–365}}</ref> At the end of the ninth century, indigenous artefact culture, especially weapons and women's jewelry, had more common local features than ever before. This has been interpreted to be expressing common Finnish identity.<ref>{{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 |page=269}}</ref>

An early form of [[Finnic languages]] spread to the Baltic Sea region approximately 1900 BC. Common Finnic language was spoken around [[Gulf of Finland]] 2000 years ago. The dialects from which the modern-day Finnish language was developed came into existence during the Iron Age.<ref>{{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|pages=211–212}}</ref> Contacts with the ancient [[Baltic peoples|Baltic]] and eastern [[Germanic peoples]] greatly influenced the [[Proto-Finnic language]].{{sfn|Kirby|2006|p=2}} Although distantly related, the [[Sami people]] retained the hunter-gatherer lifestyle longer than the Finns. The Sami cultural identity and the [[Sami language]] have survived in [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland]], the northernmost province.