page_title: Ancient Estonia
section_title: Late Neolithic - Chalcolithic
hierarchical_section_title: Ancient Estonia / Late Neolithic - Chalcolithic
caption_attribution_description: Photo of the Cord Ware, Boat Axe Culture pottery, stone axes, at The Estonian History Museum
context_page_description: Ancient Estonia refers to a period covering History of Estonia from the middle of the 8th millennium BC until the conquest and subjugation of the local Finnic tribes in the first quarter of the 13th century during the Teutonic and Danish Northern Crusades.
context_section_description: The beginning of the Late Neolithic Period about 2200 BC is characterized by the appearance of the Corded Ware culture, pottery with corded decoration and well-polished stone axes (s.c. boat-shape axes). Evidence of agriculture is provided by charred grain of wheat on the wall of a corded-ware vessel found in Iru settlement. Osteological analysis show an attempt was made to domesticate the wild boar.
  Specific burial customs were characterized by the dead being laid on their sides with their knees pressed against their breast, one hand under the head. Objects placed into the graves were made of bones of domesticated animals.
caption: Corded Ware culture pottery and stone axes at the Estonian History Museum.
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