My career as an archaeologist started in my childhood in Hanko where me and my brother looked for treasure in the abandoned WW2 fortifications in the late 1960´s and early 1970´s.
The island of ”Dödö” (or Dead Island in english) was especially rich in finds and constructions from 1941. The most common finds consisted of spent rifle cartridges and exploded artillery grenade sherds.
My last visit to the island was in 1984 when I was already in my early 20´s. Together with my girlfriend we ventured on a rather large mission and cleared out a collapsed Soviet MG nest.
During this last trip to my childhood summer paradise we also visited islands in the Bromarv archipelago north of Cape Hanko. The islands saw fierce fighting between Finnish and Soviet troops in the summer and autumn of 1941. This massgrave is the final resting place of tens of Soviet soldiers killed in the battle of ”Sommaröar”.
