History: World War II Photography, Finnish Defense Forces, Finland

History
• Prehistory
Finland was first settled around 8300 BC, immediately after the last ice age . Archaeological evidence of prehistoric warfare is largely incomplete, primarily because prehistoric skeletons, which might bear traces of violent traumas, rarely survive in the Finnish soil. From the Bronze Age (1500 - 500 BC) onwards improved weapons, such as battle-axes and swords, are included in the archaeological record. There is also evidence of hill-forts from the same time period.Weapons are common finds from the Roman Iron Age (1 A.D. - 400 A.D.) onwards. Viking attacks on Finland are indicated only by a couple of runic inscriptions in Sweden, as well as some uncertain saga sources. According to one saga, Olaf the Holy, later a King of Norway, made an attack on a country that has often been interpreted as south-western Finland; he was defeated.