Abstract

The old cemetery of Haukipudas has been an intact resting place for past local generations for the last 130 years. The fenced area next to Haukipudas Church is forested, but it is not completely forgotten. The last burials in this cemetery are from the year 1890, when a new cemetery still is in use today was inaugurated. However, the old cemetery was never officially closed down.

Anthropological and archaeological research in the cemetery has revealed different ways how individuals and local community remembered the deceased. Multidisciplinary and diverse source material — church archives, old maps, vegetation survey, ground penetrating radar, documentation of grave monuments, and interviews with local informants — together create an image of the place that remains important to the locals. Memory is the theoretical framework that combines the results obtained from the various sources and methods.

Old maps, archival sources, and vegetation surveys revealed the oldest parts of the cemetery dating from the 18th century. Partly paved pathways taken over by vegetation tell the past routes and layout of the cemetery. The main path cutting the cemetery in two halves had a straight connection to the nearby church. The meaning of the cemetery is diverse for different people, which is also seen in the vegetation. For some, the cemetery is a holy place and for others, a forest. The stories of the local informants bring out memories of communality and kinship. In addition, the interviewees are exploring their views on how the memory of the old cemetery should be cherished and strengthened in the future.

The cemetery has been kept as it once was without any major changes and reorganisations. The research and its results provide an opportunity to plan the possible introduction of the site as a partial urn cemetery, considering the history of the area.