ABSTRACT
This contribution represents a spatial analysis of coins from Jomala church, situated in the archipelago of Åland, Finland, a rural church dating to the thirteenth century. It is the only church in Finland built in Romanesque style. An archaeological excavation of the medieval nave and the choir was carried out in 1961. It yielded a total of 594 coins of which at least 134 are medieval. The impact of the Lutheran Reformation on church doctrine and practice and the effects on liturgy and the church interior in relation to the use of money form the central questions of the chapter. After the Lutheran Reformation in 1527, individual communion through the mediation of the saints was gradually superseded by the celebration of the Eucharist. However, it is evident that coin offerings around the altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary continued in Jomala after the Reformation.
A second issue that is addressed in the study is the continuation of offerings into the Early Modern period in times of conflict. The Åland Islands were occupied by Russia in 1714−1721, during the Great Northern War (1700−1721). The period coincided with plague and famine on Åland. The chapter discusses the extent to which the increased number of coin finds at this time, which are also a feature in other Finnish churches, reflect church practices during this difficult period.
