Lietuvos archeologija

The article aims to discuss the chronological phases of the Roman-period cemeteries at Žviliai and Šarkai (Šilalė District) and the artefacts attributed to them as a form of cultural expression during certain periods. L. Vaitkunskienė published material from Žviliai in a separate monograph (Vaitkunskienė, 1999), but unfortunately that scholar’s insights into chronological issues have not received a broader response in academic discussions. This article uses statistical methods to return to the question of dating the Roman period burials in Žviliai Cemetery. Roman-period burial assemblages from Šarkai Cemetery have been added to the database in order to clarify the context of the grave-good types from the earliest group of Žviliai burials, which is less numerous. Artefacts typical of certain phases of these cemeteries are analysed over as broad an area as possible, not just the Balt context. The end of the article discusses the cultural unity and specificity of the communities which left the Žviliai and Šarkai Cemeteries in respect to the neighbouring Balt cultures and more distant areas of the European Barbaricum.