The existence of the Eastern Way centuries before any Scandinavian expansion is proved by archaeological finds from Finland and Estonia that are associated with both Scandinavians and the eastern Finno–Ugric peoples. In western and southwestern Finland, the strong cultural impact of Scandinavia can be traced back thousands of years before the Viking Age. Second-and third-century warrior graves in Finland have yielded weapons representing international types and resembling those used in Middle Sweden during the same period. The trend strengthened further in the sixth and seventh centuries when similar modes of burial spread to parts of Estonia as well. However, jewellery deposited in graves and the general burial context retained their local character, so they are interpreted as just another element of the local Baltic Finnic culture. It is still a matter of discussion how large a proportion of warriors buried in this fashion may have been assimilated Scandinavians.

Finland in particular can boast many fifth-to seventh-century artefacts, belt mounts especially, which were manufactured by the Finno–Ugric peoples living in the Kama River basin near Perm, as far east as the foothills of the Urals. For example, a grave in the richly furnished warrior burial at Eura Pappilanmäki was equipped with belt fittings of an eastern origin as well as Scandinavian-type luxury weapons. These graves probably belonged to Austrvegr pioneers, warrior traders with contacts in the east and west alike.

Items originating in the Perm region have been, likewise, found in Estonia, albeit in lesser quantity—no doubt due to different funerary practices. In Finland the whole of the seventh century is considered a period marked by rich weapon burials, whereas the graves uncovered in coastal Estonia originate solely from the first half of the seventh century: here burials with grave goods almost completely ceased in the middle of the seventh century. Coastal Estonia does, however, have graves from the period between the fifth century and the first half of the seventh century, like the Proosa site near Tallinn which was furnished with Scandinavian artefacts as well as items imported from the eastern Finno–Ugric areas.

Formation of a Shared Warrior Culture in the Northern Baltic Rim

Owing to the differences in burial customs, and a lack of finds, most stray finds from coastal Estonia dated to the seventh and eighth centuries have been categorized as Finnish.