# Mati Mandel

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**Mati Mandel** (born 11 June 1945) is an Estonian archaeologist and historian.[1] A longtime archaeologist at the [Estonian History Museum](/source/Estonian_History_Museum), he has specialised in the archaeology of western Estonia, especially ancient and medieval [Läänemaa](/source/L%C3%A4%C3%A4nemaa), and has also published extensively on the history of western and northern Estonia during the 1940s.[2][3][4]

## Early life and education

Mandel was born in [Tartu](/source/Tartu). He graduated from [Tartu State University](/source/University_of_Tartu) in 1972 as an historian-archaeologist.[1] In 1992 he completed a master's thesis titled *Võitlusnuga ja mõõk Muinas-Eesti relvastuses* ("The fighting knife and sword in the armament of prehistoric Estonia").[5] He defended his doctoral dissertation, *Läänemaa 5.–13. sajandi kalmed* ("Graves of Läänemaa in the 5th to 13th centuries"), at the University of Tartu in December 2003.[6]

## Career

Mandel became closely associated with the Estonian History Museum, and official records later identified him as head of the museum's department of early history.[2] His archaeological work has centred on burial sites, settlement sites and strongholds in western Estonia.[3][7] Archaeologist [Valter Lang](/source/Valter_Lang) has described him as a systematic researcher of historic Läänemaa.[8]

Among the sites most closely associated with Mandel is the Maidla Iron Age grave field near [Kullamaa](/source/Kullamaa). Later scholarship credited him with large-scale excavations there in 1989–1990,[9] and his 2017 monograph on Maidla later synthesised the results of Estonian History Museum investigations carried out there between 1983 and 1990 and again from 2011 to 2015.[10] In 2019 ERR quoted Mandel calling Maidla the most outstanding archaeological site in Läänemaa, with more than 10,000 finds recovered there.[11]

Mandel's fieldwork has also figured in wider public reporting. In 2015, [Eesti Rahvusringhääling](/source/Eesti_Rahvusringh%C3%A4%C3%A4ling) (ERR) reported that he had discovered and investigated a [Great Northern War](/source/Great_Northern_War)-era plague grave in his own farmyard in western Estonia.[12] In 2021 an expedition from the Estonian History Museum led by Mandel uncovered an untouched late-antique burial in [Pärnu County](/source/P%C3%A4rnu_County), a discovery reported by both ERR News and *Archaeology* magazine.[13][14] In 2022 ERR reported that research directed by Mandel at a burial site on the Läänemaa–Pärnumaa border produced bone fragments and artefacts dating from the 5th to 6th centuries.[15] Reporting in 2024 on renewed research into western Estonian hill forts, ERR News noted that this work was building on earlier investigations carried out by Mandel in southwest Estonia.[16]

Alongside archaeology, Mandel has written on twentieth-century history, especially the fighting around [Keila](/source/Keila) in 1944, the career of the anti-Soviet partisan [Ants Kaljurand](/source/Ants_Kaljurand) ("Hirmus-Ants"), [Johan Pitka](/source/Johan_Pitka)'s 1944 combat group, and the history of the pre-war [Estonian Defence League](/source/Kaitseliit) in Läänemaa.[4][17]

## Honours

In 1996 Mandel received an annual award from the folk culture endowment of the [Estonian Cultural Endowment](/source/Estonian_Cultural_Endowment) for his role in establishing the Lihula Museum and organising volunteer work at [Lihula Castle](/source/Lihula_Castle).[18] In 1998 he received the [Keila](/source/Keila) cultural prize for work connected with his book on the 1944 war events around Keila, commemorative projects for those killed in the fighting, and archaeological research in the town.[19] In 2001 he was awarded the [Order of the White Star](/source/Order_of_the_White_Star), IV class.[20] In 2015 he received the Läänemaa service decoration,[21] and in 2018 he received the Freedom Fighter's Oak Leaf badge for preserving and popularising the history of the [Forest Brothers](/source/Forest_Brothers).[22]

## Selected works

- *Sõjalõpu sündmused Keila ümbruses* (Keila: Harju Muuseum, 1994).[23]
- *Lihula muinas- ja keskaeg* (Tallinn: Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus, 2000).[24]
- *Läänemaa 5.–13. sajandi kalmed* (Tallinn: Eesti Ajaloomuuseum, 2003).[25]
- *Kogu tõde Hirmus-Antsust?* (Tallinn: Eesti Ajaloomuuseum, 2010).[26]
- *Maidla muinaskalmistu saladused* (Tallinn: Eesti Ajaloomuuseum, 2017).[10]
- *Sõjaeelse Kaitseliidu hiilgeaeg ja häving Läänemaal* (Tallinn: Eesti Ajaloomuuseum, 2020).[27]
- *Läänemaa muinasajast Lihula keskaega: arheoloogilise uurimise lugu* (Tallinn: Eesti Ajaloomuuseum, 2023).[28]

## References

1. ["Mati Mandel"](https://www.etis.ee/CV/Mati_Mandel/est/) (in Estonian). *Estonian Research Information System*. Estonian Research Agency. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["Kultuurimälestiseks tunnistamine ja kultuurimälestiseks olemise lõpetamine"](https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/322022025001) (in Estonian). *Riigi Teataja*. 4 March 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Hepner, Juhan (15 January 2023). ["Mati Mandel pani enda Läänemaa arheoloogilise uurimise lood raamatusse"](https://novaator.err.ee/1608851330/mati-mandel-pani-enda-laanemaa-arheoloogilise-uurimise-lood-raamatusse) (in Estonian). *Novaator*. Estonian Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Hepner, Juhan (4 September 2020). ["Kaitseliidu Lääne maleva varasem ajalugu sai kaante vahele"](https://www.err.ee/1131240/kaitseliidu-laane-maleva-varasem-ajalugu-sai-kaante-vahele) (in Estonian). *ERR*. Estonian Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["Magistritööd EAB 1986–1996"](https://arheoloogia.ee/bibliograafia/eab-1986-1996/magistritood/) (in Estonian). *Arheoloogia.ee*. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["Kaitstud doktoritööd"](https://ajalugu-arheoloogia.ut.ee/et/sisu/kaitstud-doktoritood) (in Estonian). *University of Tartu*. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Kärner, Kaja (21 October 2023). ["Kajalood. Mati Mandel: Lihula on Eesti Pompei"](https://vikerraadio.err.ee/1609125794/kajalood-mati-mandel-lihula-on-eesti-pompei) (in Estonian). *Vikerraadio*. Estonian Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Lang, Valter (2011). ["Comments on Martti Veldi and Tõnno Jonuks "The problem of forgotten sites: what to do with new monuments? A case-study of long-known but left behind sites from Ida-Virumaa": where does the shoe of our heritage protection pinch?"](https://ojs.utlib.ee/index.php/AVE/article/download/25023/19024). *Archaeological Fieldwork in Estonia*. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Allmäe, Raili (2013). ["Occasional archaeological human skeletal remains from Läänemaa, western Estonia"](https://ojs.utlib.ee/index.php/PoA/article/view/poa.2013.22.02/1087). *Papers on Anthropology*. **22**: 17–27. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["Maidla muinaskalmistu saladused"](https://pood.ajaloomuuseum.ee/toode/maidla-muinaskalmistu-saladused/) (in Estonian). *Estonian History Museum*. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Hepner, Juhan (27 January 2019). ["Läänemaal on arheoloogid teinud 50 aastaga erakordseid avastusi"](https://www.err.ee/904563/laanemaal-on-arheoloogid-teinud-50-aastaga-erakordseid-avastusi) (in Estonian). *ERR*. Estonian Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Hepner, Juhan (31 October 2015). ["Arheoloog leidis koduõuelt Põhjasõja-aegse katkuhaua"](https://www.err.ee/548303/arheoloog-leidis-koduouelt-pohjasoja-aegse-katkuhaua) (in Estonian). *ERR*. Estonian Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["Gallery: Rare untouched burial site found in Pärnu County"](https://news.err.ee/1608277518/gallery-rare-untouched-burial-site-found-in-parnu-county). *ERR News*. Estonian Public Broadcasting. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["Ancient Child's Burial Uncovered in Estonia"](https://archaeology.org/news/2021/07/14/210715-estonia-child-burial/). *Archaeology*. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["Arheoloog: teaduslikust huvist lähtuvaid kaevamisi on Eestis üha harvem"](https://www.err.ee/1608625450/arheoloog-teaduslikust-huvist-lahtuvaid-kaevamisi-on-eestis-uha-harvem) (in Estonian). *ERR*. Estonian Public Broadcasting. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["Archaeologists aiming for clearer picture of Lääne County's ancient forts"](https://news.err.ee/1609398184/archaeologists-aiming-for-clearer-picture-of-laane-county-s-ancient-forts). *ERR News*. Estonian Public Broadcasting. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Kuuskemaa, Peeter (2011). ["Oli Eesti aeg, Vene aeg, Saksa aeg ja siis tuli Hirmus-Ants"](https://www.ra.ee/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/KuuskPearu_Oli_Eesti_aeg_TUNA2011_1.pdf) (in Estonian). *Tuna*. '***(1): 143–146. Retrieved 19 March 2026.***

1. ["1995–2000"](https://kulka.ee/sihtkapitalid/rahvakultuur/aastapreemiad/aastapreemiad-1995-2000) (in Estonian). *Kultuurkapital*. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["Tunnustamine"](https://keila.ee/tunnustamine/) (in Estonian). *City of Keila*. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["985. Riiklike autasude andmine"](https://president.ee/et/ametitegevus/otsused/51906-985-riiklike-autasude-andmine) (in Estonian). *President of the Republic of Estonia*. 2 February 2001. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Lauri, Urmas (4 February 2015). ["Läänemaa teenetemärgi saavad Mati Mandel ja Sulev Saareväli"](https://online.le.ee/2015/02/04/laanemaa-teenetemargi-saavad-mati-mandel-ja-sulev-saarevali/) (in Estonian). *Lääne Elu*. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. ["Vabaduse Tammepärja aumärk"](https://www.justdigi.ee/vabaduse-tammeparja-aumark) (in Estonian). *Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs*. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Mandel, Mati (1994). *Sõjalõpu sündmused Keila ümbruses* (in Estonian). Keila: Harju Muuseum.

1. Mandel, Mati (2000). *Lihula muinas- ja keskaeg* (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus. ISBN 9985700600.

1. ["Läänemaa 5.-13. sajandi kalmed (Töid ajaloo alalt ; 5 2003)"](https://www.digar.ee/arhiiv/en/raamatud/116104). *DIGAR*. National Library of Estonia. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

1. Mandel, Mati (2010). *Kogu tõde Hirmus-Antsust?* (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Ajaloomuuseum. ISBN 9789985988947.

1. Mandel, Mati (2020). *Sõjaeelse Kaitseliidu hiilgeaeg ja häving Läänemaal* (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Ajaloomuuseum. ISBN 9789949741625.

1. Mandel, Mati (2023). *Läänemaa muinasajast Lihula keskaega: arheoloogilise uurimise lugu* (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Ajaloomuuseum. ISBN 9789949741687.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mati Mandel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mati_Mandel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mati_Mandel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.