Inland water sites and their challenges Niko Miilus

This is part of a series of presentations giving by diving enthusiasts and science professionals interested in citizen science organised by the Finnish Divers' Federation. We started in 2023 on Suomenlinna with a live seminar mainly about the Baltic Sea, covering the environmental risks of WW-I and II wrecks, scale models of wrecks, ghost net removal, and research projects involving technical diving. We learned about the Saimaa ringed seal conservation project, the restoration of sea grass meadows, monitoring and the future of scientific diving education in Finland.

In 2024 the Finnish Divers Federation Sukeltajaliitto continued the journey into inland waters to rivers and lakes. As in 2023, presenters covered both archaeology and ecology in and around water.

Niko Miilus began his diving journey in 1992 and has since dedicated himself to exploring and understanding the cultural heritage hidden beneath the surface.

When the glaciers disappeared at the end of the ice age about 10 000 years ago, the first humans arrived in today Finland’s grounds, water routes, the early seas, lakes and rivers. One of the earliest living places is Myllykoski, Orimattila (8830 bce), in the Porvoonjoki valley, at the ancient Ancylus-lake. Ice and water have disappeared from there since those days. The water flows of the rivers have changed their directions about 5000 years ago from predominantly north to south for most of the current locations. We have many newer and different sites at and under the water of rivers and lakes from early pre-historic to iron and industrial ages. The timeline to study contains Viking, Deutsche Hanse Union, tar and board wood industry, and whatever we have not found yet.

In his presentation, Niko points out the challenges on how to recognise, measure, and identify an archaeological find. Information is scarce and scattered such that it is hard to assemble a reasonable timeline. For example, there is ambiguity in timing and identifying a wooden rowing boat, where the same model has been continuously in use for at least the last 500 years. Last not least, Niko emphasises the safety aspect when working and diving in the moving water of a river.