Human touch, natural processes: The development of the rural cultural landscape in southern Finland from past to present

Abstract

This paper presents a brief study of the rural cultural landscape in southern Finland. Most rural landscapes in southern Finland are produced by traditional agriculture and affected by modern farming. The cultural landscape of the countryside is therefore a human cultural achievement: working the land creates the agrarian landscape. Natural processes must be yielded and acknowledged, however. The various periodic layers of the rural landscape derive from its inhabitants and their historical periods. In this way, the landscape is comprised of natural and cultural phenomena, which can be both old and new. This paper is based on a study of the rural cultural landscapes of Perniö and Karjaa in southern Finland. The examination suggests a long-term landscape development from prehistoric to historical periods.