Experiencing a Ritual Space – Results of Phosphate Analyses from Four Sámi Offering Places

Sieidis are offering places of Sámi ethnic religion. Between 2008 and 2010 seven sieidi places were studied in Finnish Lapland, revealing mostly bones originating from offerings. Some of the known sieidi sites were nevertheless archaeologically empty. In this article, we use the results of phosphate analyses to study the traces of ritual practices that have left no bone material. Different use of space can be seen in the variation of phosphate levels. Most of the activities seem to be concentrated in the close vicinity of the sieidi. On the contrary, the space consecrated by a sieidi could extend further than the marks of ritual activities provide evidence for. Some parts of ritual activities could be experienced from further away.