DNA study reveals Paltamo skull belonged to a woman from 1700s–1800s

A DNA analysis of a skull taken from Paltamo to Sweden in the 19th century for racial research has identified it as belonging to a woman who lived around the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, Yle reports.

The skull is the first known historical individual from the Kainuu region, providing new genetic data from eastern Finland, where such information has previously been scarce.

Researchers estimate the woman likely had fair skin, blue eyes, and light, possibly reddish hair. She was not elderly at the time of death, and genetic analysis shows strong ties to the Paltamo area.

The skull was among 82 repatriated from Sweden in 2024 after prolonged negotiations. It was buried in Kajaani’s Paltaniemi cemetery in December 2024, initially known only to have belonged to an adult.

Archaeologist Ulla Nordfors, who leads the research project, noted that the skull’s origin as a woman’s is unusual, as most specimens sent to Sweden came from hospitals or prisons and were typically male. Traces of soil on the skull suggest it had been buried before reaching the anatomy department at the University of Helsinki, though how it arrived there remains unclear.

The skull was part of a collection gathered by Swedish anthropologist Gustaf Retzius, who sought to disprove the racial purity of Finns compared to Scandinavians by measuring skulls. The Paltamo skull, along with others from eastern Finland, now offers insights into the region’s population history.

Further isotope analysis may reveal details about the woman’s diet and life. Researchers also plan to explore potential genetic links between her and present-day residents of Paltamo and Kainuu.