About the Prehistory
The artefacts found in Nuuksio, which tell about prehistoric settlements and
life of different cultures, include stone axes, grinding stones, flakes, stone
chisel, and also rock paintings from the Early Metal Age.
In Nuuksio National Park, in Kuusela, evidence has been found of Stone Age,
probably Comb Ware settlement, in about 4200-2500 BC. Very likely people have
been living there also during the Battle-Axe culture (about 2400-1900 BC). In
addition, about 1 km south of Kuusela remains have been found of even earlier
settlement (before 4200 BC), the so called "Suomusjärvi culture", a
hunter-gatherer society.
At the time when the Baltic Sea water level was over 30 metres higher than
now, the current Lake Nuuksion Pitkäjärvi was connected to the sea. Near the
National Park, on the shores of the Lakes Nupurinjärvi and Svartbäckträsket
several Stone Age settlements have been found which lie about 20-30 metres
higher than the current sea level. The lakes were separated from the sea in
about 3400-3000 BC.
During the Neolithic Stone Age the area was used for hunting, and temporary
camps were established there. Later, around the end of Stone Age, new
inhabitants came to Nuuksio, but they moved on to better hunting areas, and
maybe assimilated into the population that was already hunting there.
Nuuksio area has always been peripheral, except during the Battle-Axe
culture. It was important as the hunting area for the inhabitants of the coastal
region, but permanent settlements did not emerge until the Historic time.
About the History
Most of Nuuksio area has not been suitable for agriculture, so it has been
left as it is; backwoods in the midst of agricultural area. However, since 1800s
there were tenant farmers, who cleared small areas for cultivation. Remains of
an old tenant farmer’s cottage can be seen for example in Takala.
The History of Kattila
The farm of Kattila (“the Kettle”) is located in the northern part of the
National Park, on the side of the Lake Kaitlampi. According to tradition, it has
been named after the Giant’s Kettle on the eastern border of the farm.
First the Kattila area was owned by a former tenant of
the Tervalampi estate, who got the ownership of the land by the Crofter’s Act.
Eljas Erkko, the owner and chief editor of Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, bought
the farm in a compulsory auction in 1934, in order to found a rest home for his
workers. However, his wife was bitten by a snake in Kattila, and she became
afraid of the place, so Erkko sold the farm to Raamattututkijain seura
Association, which was planning to grow Black Salsify (Scorzonera
hispanica)
to be sold in their health shops.
However, the new Pharmacy Act passed at that time defined Black Salsify as a
pharmacy product, so plan was abandoned and Kattila was sold again, along with a
wilderness hotel, which had been built by the Association. The farm had several
owners until 1970s, when the City of Helsinki took over managing it. The
government bought it in May 1996.
