PDF file (4 MB) - Arheoloogia Tartu Ülikoolis

The topics of household archaeology discussed in this work (the use-life of buildings
and its related term ‘household series’; the distribution of archaeological artefacts and
the possible households with which the artefacts can be associated) make it possible to
focus on the problems connected to the long development of the archaeological findings
of the Uderna II settlement site and poor preservation of buildings, as well as to
distinguish possible household series on the excavated area.
On the basis of the archaeological findings and extant written sources, the history of
Uderna from the Mediaeval Period up to the second half of the eighteenth century can
be divided into two longer periods, the first lasting from the Late Iron Age up to the end
of the Mediaeval Period and the latter encompassing the Early Modern Period up to the
second half of the eighteenth century. A line must be drawn between the Mediaeval
Period and Early Modern Period, for the gradual changes that had been taking place
since the early days of the colonization period had significantly altered the social
structure and life patterns of rural Estonians. Written historical records bear witness to
these changes; however, the changes can also be seen from the archaeological findings
from the Uderna site. Both periods are characterized in the following text, which, by
analyzing several kinds of sources, gives a brief description of the village of Uderna, the
life of its inhabitants, and the historical events and processes that have influenced its
development.
The Uderna II Settlement Site in the Late Iron Age and in the Mediaeval Period
There are almost no written sources concerning the village of Uderna from the Late Iron
Age and the Mediaeval Period. Sources from later periods allow us to deduce that in the
Mediaeval period, and probably earlier as well, there existed two villages in the area of
the contemporary one. The settlement site Uderna I (the former Väike-Uderna village)
was situated along the northern side of a valley, and the settlement site Uderna II (the
former Suur-Uderna village) along the southern side. The latter settlement site, Uderna
II, is the one discussed in this text.
The continuous settlement of the village probably began in the 11 th century. The
settlement slowly moved northwards during the centuries, also moving down from the
highest, southern area of the valley’s slope. From the Late Iron Age and the Mediaeval
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