Formation of Ruhnu Island and its early settlement history

The period of formation of dry land in the region of the present Ruhnu Island dates back as far as to the end of the Baltic Ice Lake (12 000 – 9600 years BC). Two small islets cropped out first in the eastern and central parts of the today's island. During maximum transgression of the Litorina Sea, the island was merely a U-shaped strip of land with a territory of a few square kilometres. Afterwards, caused by the compensational isostatic uplift and accumulation of sediments, the coastal line has slowly retreated increasing the area of island. The range of archaeological fieldwork has been limited; at the end of the 1990s an inventory of the Stone Age sites was carried out and excavations have been held in two localities so far. Presently, six Stone Age dwelling sites are known in Ruhnu. Five fireplaces deepened into the ground, were excavated at Ruhnu II settlement. Their datings indicate that the oldest fireplaces come from the Late Mesolithic and the more recent ones from the Early Neolithic periods. Studies of the origin of early settlers in Ruhnu are based mainly on the potsherds found from Ruhnu IV site. They are similar to those found in the west Estonian coastal area and Saaremaa Island, which indicates that the inhabitants of Ruhnu came from these areas. Around Ruhnu, seal population was traditionally exploited through different times and periods. Seals, fish and waterfowl were the main subsistence for Ruhnu settlers