Conclusive archaeological evidence exists indicating that the area now comprising Finland was settled around 8500 BC, during the Stone Age, as the inland ice of the last ice age receded. The earliest inhabitants are thought to have been hunter-gatherers, living primarily off what the forests and sea could offer. Pottery is known from around 5300 BC. The existence of extensive exchange systems is indicated by the spread of asbestos and soapstone from Eastern Finland, and by founds of flint from South Scandinavia and Russia, chisels from Lake Onega, and spearheads from North Scandinavia. Currently it is considered probable that the speakers of the Finno-Ugric language arrived in Finland during the Stone Age, possibly even among the first Mesolithic settlers.The arrival of the Battle-Axe Culture or Cord-Ceramic Culture) in

Southern Finland around 3200 BC is considered as the start of agriculture. However, hunting and fishing continued to be most important. p
The Bronze Age (1500–500 BC) and Iron Age (500 BC–AD 1200) were characterized by extensive contacts with Scandinavia, Northern Russia and the Baltic region.
Old Scandinavian sagas and some historians like Danish Saxo Grammaticus and Arabian Al Idrisi tell that there have been Finnish kings before Sweden conquered Finland. Hversu Noregr byggdist saga for example tells about Finnish kings one of whom founded Norway. Another saga tells about Faravid, king of Kvenland, who became a friend and ally of his Norwegian colleague, with whom he arranged war parties. Whether there is any truth behind the stories is a disputed subject, however.