Stones in Boxes ― Collecting Fossils from Finland’s North and Beyond

• Main Authors: Kröger, Björn, Van Der Elst, Judith, Valkeapää, Leena
• Other Authors: Hodžić, Ena, Majcen Linn, Olga, Mlinarec, Jurica, Šimunović, Luja, Giunio, Andro, Department of Geosciences and Geography, Earth Sciences Unit
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Other natural sciences; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10138/585311

n September 2021, a transdisciplinary group of a paleontologist, an archaeologist, five artists, a biology student, and a geology student, joined up for two weeks in Sápmi, northern Finland to follow a geological layer containing Cambrian trace fossils. The intention was to collect these fossils for the Natural History Museum in Helsinki, while at the same time questioning this practice of removal and archiving that has been part of human history for at least several centuries. Museums trace their history back to colonial times when unique and exotic materials from distant and conquered lands were put on display in private collections. Collections have continued to be formed in similar ways, but have become more systematic and scientifically justified over time. While the material collections that are mostly meticulously curated add to our collective knowledge, they also have a dark side. Historically, materials, be it natural or cultural, were removed from distant locations without much consideration of the consequences for local communities. We approached the landscape and its fossiliferous strata in a way that brings together artistic practices of research and scientific research. Our joint time in the field offered a dialogue between art, science, and the humanities to question practices of collecting and archiving, and to explore alternative directions.