Lietuvos archeologija

The article presents the Trzciniec culture (Trzciniec cultural cycle), an Early and Middle Bronze Age archaeological phenomenon in Lithuania. It analyses various aspects of the concept and chronology of the culture and presents a history of the research in the culture’s territory. Priority is given to archaeological pottery, the main indicator for cultural identification. The article gives the main distinguishing features of the ceramic vessels, their types, their ornamentation, and their attribution to either the East-Trzciniec or West-Trzciniec culture. Finally the article analyses the Bronze Age cultural situation in the Eastern Baltic region and raises the question of whether the Trzciniec culture existed in Lithuania and in what form.

The chronology of the Lithuanian Iron Age has up until now been based exclusively on the typology of the finds, usually discovered at burial sites, but the effort to successfully employ typology in dating burial complexes is hindered by a great lack of reference points based on absolute dates. An attempt to fill this gap was made by the scientific project ‘Turning-points in the Iron Age East Lithuania (on the basis of AMS dating)’ during which 30 burials in East Lithuanian barrows were dated using the AMS 14C method. The obtained dates are being published in this article. In selecting the samples, an effort was made to cover all of the chronological horizons of the East Lithuanian barrow culture, as much barrow and burial construction diversity as possible, and as many artefact types as possible. 11 inhumations and 19 cremations were dated. Many of the radiocarbon dates seemed surprisingly old even in those instances where the typology dating is hardly questionable and is clearly connected with European typology schemes. This phenomenon should probably be explained by the freshwater reservoir effect. In order to verify these premises and to evaluate the possible significance of the effect’s impact and the possibility of eliminating this effect, additional investigations need to be conducted.

The article analyses the problem of how representative is the map of Lithuanian archaeological sites. It distinguishes the main factors affecting this representativity: the disappearance of archaeological sites, the methods and intensity of the conducted searches, and the principles used in the creation of the maps (or lists). The conclusion is drawn that the general representativity of the Lithuanian archaeological map is currently very low, the main reason for this being the failure to conduct systematic surveys in the search for new sites. The representativity of various types of sites differs. The representativity of settlements is currently the lowest, but it is also not satisfactory for other types of sites. At the present level of representativity, in analysing questions connected with the systems, density, and evenness of the territory’s habitation, it is essential to take this into consideration. Many questions in general cannot be analysed very well owing to the lack of data. Therefore at the present time, the orientation should be more towards the systematic search for new archaeological sites.

The article aims to introduce palaeodemography, the study of the demography of ancient populations based on information estimated from human remains. The article is composed of four parts. First, the basics of demography are briefly described, giving the methodological background of palaeodemography and a couple of examples to illustrate that interest in demography has very deep roots in the study of prehistoric and historic human populations. Next, it defines the concepts of palaeodemography and closely related disciplines. Third, it describes the main developmental stages of paleodemographic studies from their origin to the present, focusing mainly on the scientific experience of Western countries. Finally, it presents the main issues, possible solutions, and research trends in modern palaeodemography.

Within the framework of the Lithuanian Mummy Project, a scientific investigation of the mummified human remains found in Lithuania, the authors of this paper attempted to gather as much information as possible in order to promote and expand the knowledge about the corpses held in the crypt of the Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius. The data collected enabled the history of the church and its burials over the course of time to be reconstructed, providing an original and unique window into Lithuania’s past.

The paper discusses bone and antler artefacts found during the excavations at Tartu Road 1 in Tallinn during 2011–2012. Most of the bone finds date to the 14th–16th centuries, the latest to the 18th–19th centuries. Both artefacts and working debris have been found, the most abundant material among the debris being waste from bead and button making. Antler artefacts and working debris were also found. Both the plot’s location and the house’s size and spatial division point to a public building. A guesthouse or tavern at a river next to a bridge could have been a suitable stopping place for itinerant craftsmen who manufactured their products on the spot. The few Modern Age items are common articles used in domestic households. The buttons and button making debris belong to the 18th century.

The article presents a description of the service and contributions to Lithuania’s armed forces made by Petras Tarasenka, a Lithuanian archaeologist, prose writer, museum employee, pedagogue, and army officer. Tarasenka’s life is traced from 1919, when he joined the Lithuanian army until 1932, when he was promoted to the rank of colonel and retired to the reserves. It also describes his involvement in Lithuanian Wars of Independence, the march to Klaipėda, and his accomplishments in military instruction and preparing teaching aids for officers. It investigates the issues of an officer retiring from active service and overviews his military awards and decorations as well as his military positions and jobs. It presents chronological and geographical links between his military service and his significant archaeological contributions.