My own research material is connected to the Bronze and Early Metal Age. The material is constantly increasing, significantly affecting our conceptions of the past. I have conducted field work at Bronze and Early Metal Age sites in Finland, Russia and the Baltic countries and have studied artefacts using a variety of methods. The approaches can be both science- and humanities-based, and the knowledge acquired with their help is used as the starting point for understanding human communities.

The natural environment has constantly changed and people have been forced to adapt. Human beings, for their part, have themselves changed the natural environment, and in recent times environmental change has been increasingly driven by humans. Investigating past ages nevertheless requires an understanding of both cultural perspectives and changes in the natural environment.

Archaeology combines many disciplines, and for this reason it is rapidly developing in terms of methodology. For example, we have produced new knowledge through archaeological lipid analysis, which is performed by studying fatty residues left on pottery. With the help of this research, we have been able to demonstrate that in Finland animal husbandry already began during the time of the Corded Ware Culture, around 4500 years ago.