Saying that area was already inhabited, is quite limitative.
Infact, nowadays archeological researches prove that there has been settlement in
Finland area since the mesolithic, for about 9,000 years.
The most important area was the coastal region from Porvoo to Vaasa.
This was the nucleus area of the ProtoFinnic language, of folk poetry
in Kalevala metre, of agricultural methods, and more.
The Finland, the most northerly meeting point for eastern and
western European cultural influences was already established by the Bronze
Age, when the Scandinavians reached the southwest coast of Finland. The
hunting and fishing economy continued in the central regions.
Contrary to former hypotheses, the FinnoUgric peoples probably never had a
common home in the region of the Volga. They inhabited far wider areas, from the
Urals to the Baltic.
A nomadic way of life was a necessity imposed by their economy.
Geo-Expert