The Third International Symposium on Paleolimnology was held at the beginning of September 1981 in Finland. After registration at the University of 10ensuu and the opening session and welcome reception in the Town Hall, the participants moved to a hotel at Koli, a hill famed as a landmark and for its panoramic view. Here the lecture session, lasting four days, took place. Momentarily, the mosaic of the lakeland became visible between the clouds showing the hill slopes covered by mature spruce forest and scattered old birch trees, a reminder of the last slash-and-burn phase some 130 years ago....