PLACE NAMES ABOUT LIFE BY THE SEA – AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE ESTONIAN-SWEDISH LANDSCAPE

Abstract: No toponym has come from nothing and there has always been a link between a place and its name. When it concerns the past, it is a scholar’s task to explore this connection. The article discusses Estonian-Swedish maritime place names from an archaeological perspective, and is based on the premise that research into toponyms should depart from the principle that the scholar tries to reconstruct the name giver’s viewpoint. The article deals with two main topics: the meanings of place names related to the Estonian Swedes ’ possible practical use of the coast and sea, and, more importantly, to the possible function of place names as indicators of archaeologically interesting maritime locations. Also, the question of the dating of place names will be touched upon. The perspectives of different place names as indicators for locating landing sites will be analysed at length