DOI issue:
Vol. VI : 3 1990
DOI article:Brady, Niall D. R.: Early ard pieces in Finnish museums
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49003#0175
EARLY ARD PIECES IN FINLAND
165
Fig. 9. Wooden ardhead No. 4 Pernio-Paarskyla dated to 1290 (after Glob, fig. 53). Mus. No. KM3404. □
Holzernes Hakenpflughaupt Nr. 4 Pernio-Paarskyla Alter: 1290 n. Chr.
skyla ard at such a comparatively late date
when the plough proper was current over
much of Europe. The explanation lies in the
forested environment of the country with its
shallow soil filled with rocks and roots.
Mouldboard ploughs were not suited to these
situations and Vilkuna (1965, map F) has
demonstrated that the more flexible and more
manoeuvrable bow-ard predominated in
western Finland while double-pronged sokha,
types were more common in the east, being
introduced from the Russian sphere.
Iron shares (Figs. 10-12)
The eight shares can be divided into two
groups; Nos. 5-11 and No. 12. While various
individual shapes occur within the first
group, they are united by a simplicity of form
and relatively short size (112-191 mm long x
72-110 mm wide). No. 12 on the other hand is
a much larger piece (284 x 182 mm). It is an
entirely different shape and, perhaps funda-
mentally, it comes from Russia originally, ar-
riving as part of a private collection in the
early nineteenth century. It has nothing to do
with the Finnish material other than that it is
now part of their collections.
Form, Nos. 5-11 (Figs. 10-11)
These are of one-to-two piece, forged con-
struction. They are symmetrical in shape and
without side wings. Nos. 5, 8, 9, 11 and it is
thought 7, have a triangular shape with side
flanges and a rounded snout. No. 6 has more
of a rectangular shape and No. 10 is simply a
slightly curved and tapering rectilinear metal
plate. No. 6 indeed could be likened to a
spade where the socket is narrower than the
parallel-sided snout portion. However, the
snout is thicker than the socket (6:4 mm); too
165
Fig. 9. Wooden ardhead No. 4 Pernio-Paarskyla dated to 1290 (after Glob, fig. 53). Mus. No. KM3404. □
Holzernes Hakenpflughaupt Nr. 4 Pernio-Paarskyla Alter: 1290 n. Chr.
skyla ard at such a comparatively late date
when the plough proper was current over
much of Europe. The explanation lies in the
forested environment of the country with its
shallow soil filled with rocks and roots.
Mouldboard ploughs were not suited to these
situations and Vilkuna (1965, map F) has
demonstrated that the more flexible and more
manoeuvrable bow-ard predominated in
western Finland while double-pronged sokha,
types were more common in the east, being
introduced from the Russian sphere.
Iron shares (Figs. 10-12)
The eight shares can be divided into two
groups; Nos. 5-11 and No. 12. While various
individual shapes occur within the first
group, they are united by a simplicity of form
and relatively short size (112-191 mm long x
72-110 mm wide). No. 12 on the other hand is
a much larger piece (284 x 182 mm). It is an
entirely different shape and, perhaps funda-
mentally, it comes from Russia originally, ar-
riving as part of a private collection in the
early nineteenth century. It has nothing to do
with the Finnish material other than that it is
now part of their collections.
Form, Nos. 5-11 (Figs. 10-11)
These are of one-to-two piece, forged con-
struction. They are symmetrical in shape and
without side wings. Nos. 5, 8, 9, 11 and it is
thought 7, have a triangular shape with side
flanges and a rounded snout. No. 6 has more
of a rectangular shape and No. 10 is simply a
slightly curved and tapering rectilinear metal
plate. No. 6 indeed could be likened to a
spade where the socket is narrower than the
parallel-sided snout portion. However, the
snout is thicker than the socket (6:4 mm); too