On 9 May, Åland Post launches a stamp highlighting one of the most unique Stone Age finds in Åland, the Jettböle idol. The stamp is part of this year's Europa stamp series on the theme of national archaeological finds and was illustrated in classic engraving style by Swedish artist/illustrator Fredrik Tjernström.
A tribute to Åland Stone Age
The Jettböle idol has become a symbol of the Åland Stone Age. The year 2025 marks the 120th anniversary of the discovery of the Jettböle Stone Age settlement in Jomala, a find that changed the view of the prehistory of Åland.
"With the stamp, a bygone history gets new life. The Jettböle idol is a unique find that put Åland on the archaeological map", says Johanna Finne, Design Manager at Åland Post Stamps.
A fortuitous discovery
The Jettböle idol was found in 1906 during the excavation of the 5000-year-old Stone Age settlement in Jomala. The site had been discovered by chance the previous year when crofter Karl Johan Karlsson noticed that the sand contained pieces of pottery and fragments of bone and stone. He sought out Finnish archaeologist Björn Cederhvarf, who quickly realized the significance of the find.
The excavations revealed Åland’s first Stone Age settlement that could be linked to the Pitted Ware culture – which had not previously been discovered in Finland.
Stamp debutant was inspired by the excavation and its history
The Åland Museum, the collection of artefacts of the National Museum of Finland as well as the visual material of the Finnish Heritage Agency, have inspired the stamp, which was illustrated by Fredrik Tjernström from Sweden. He debuts as a stamp artist with this stamp in a classic engraving style.
“Immersing myself into that world, trying to understand what it looked like back then during the excavation, was both fun and educational. I wanted the stamp to be simple and clear in its form. The two-part clay idol takes centre stage, and the colour scheme from orange to red gives a modern impression. My focus was on bringing out the structure of the different stones and their “owl-like” characters, so I worked a great deal on refining the lines, adjusting the line thickness to make it work in print,” Fredrik reveals.
Collect the stamp featuring an exciting archaeological find. For this issue, we also offer a first day cover adorned by an illustration of the excavation at the Jettböle hill.
Facts about the issue
Name: Europa – archaeological discovery, Jettböle idol
Date of issue: 9 May 2025
Artist: Fredrik Tjernström
Design: Johanna Finne
Edition: 30 000
Denomination: Europa (€3.90)
Price FDC: €4.90
Stamp size: 30 x 40 mm
Sheet size: 264 × 185 mm
Stamps/sheet: 2 × 12 stamps
Paper: 110 g/m2
Perforation: 13 per 2 cm
Process: 4-colour offset
Printer: Cartor Security Printers
Order the stamp and first day cover in the webshop.
