Ancient Espoo Drawings by Satu Törmälä Foto Matti Huuhka Text and photographs by Dan Lindholm The artefacts shown in the images belong to the collections of Finland’s National Board of Antiquities and are on display in the National Museum of Finland.   Official protection of antiquities In Finland, the official protection of antiquities is laid down in the Antiquities Act of 1963 concerning fixed antiquities and sites, find of old shipwrecks and movable antiquities. Without due permission granted under the provisions of the Antiquities Act it is forbidden to excavate, cover or in any other way damage antiquities. The implementation of the Antiquities Act is supervised by the National Board of Antiquities. Antiquities as stipulated in the Act include ancient dwelling sites, offering sites, burial cairns and mounds made by man, and rocks and outcrops of bedrock with drawings or paintings. Most of these sites and locations date back to prehistoric times, but the Antiquities Act also applies to younger sites such as fortifications from the First World War. Movable antiquities include coins, weapons, tools and implements or corresponding objects at least 100 years old whose owners are not known. The National Board of Antiquities is entitled under the law to purchase such objects, in which case the finder is awarded a fee. Espoo City Museum Ancient Espoo