Tamula II Stone Age site in south-eastern Estonia

Abstract

The article synthesises 25 years of archaeological evidence from the Tamula II Stone Age site in south-eastern Estonia and presents the results of fieldwork conducted there in 2023–2025. A review of earlier investigations and the 85 lithic artefacts recovered from four areas shows that the site has no continuous cultural layer, but contains two separate concentrations of Mesolithic finds. The assemblages from the two main find areas are attributed to the Kunda stage of the Mesolithic, approximately 8500–7000 BCE. Considered alongside birch-bark tar from nearby Tamula I dated to the middle of the ninth millennium BC, the finds suggest a more complex history of settlement around Lake Tamula than previously recognised. Because archaeological remains are sparse and difficult to locate, the authors call for further interdisciplinary research and comprehensive archaeological prospection before construction or changes to the protected area.