Lietuvos archeologija

The article’s authors seek to initiate a scientific discussion in a scientific research direction that is entirely new in Lithuanian archaeology. They think that geological research in Lithuania and archaeological discoveries in Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe provide a basis for a hypothesis that Lithuania’s territory was inhabited significantly earlier than the post-glacial period, and that it is possible to find traces of hominids older than Homo sapiens by conducting purposive, systematic longterm scientific research. The work surveys the theoretical premises for the archaeological investigation of the Middle and Late Pleistocene (800–10 thousand years BP) in Lithuania, the archaeological finds and research in Europe, the work by geologists and archaeologists in investigating Merkinë Interglacial palaeolakes in Lithuania, and the perspective of interdisciplinary research in this direction.

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.

The article is devoted to the archaeological excavations at the two barrow cemeteries in Dovainonys village (Kaišiadorys District), namely the present-day Dovainonys – Kapitoniškės I–V barrow cemeteries, which had all together been previously called Dovainonys I, as well as nearby Dovainonys II barrow cemetery, which has now been destroyed. Excavations were conducted at them in 1908 (T. Daugirdas), 1932 (E. Volter, C. Engel, J. Puzinas, and K. Mekas), and 1953 (A. Tautavičius). The excavation reports and finds are preserved in various archives and museums but some of them have disappeared. This article systematises and publishes the data about the Dovainonys barrow cemeteries. It focuses not only on an analysis of the investigated objects and discovered finds but also the changes in the landscape in the vicinity of barrow cemeteries and the course and methods of the excavation.

Per 2009 m. lauko darbų sezoną plokštiniame kapinyne Kleine Kaup (Šiaurės Sambija) dviejuose X a. kapuose buvo rastos kaulinės plokštelės, dengusios balnų gugas. Tokie neįprasti Baltijos šalims radiniai buvo papuošti geometriniu ir apskritiminiu ornamentu, taip pat šunų galvų iššieptais nasrais atvaizdais. Šių atvaizdų-amuletų analogų randama X a. – XI a. pirmosios pusës skandinavų mene.

Straipsnyje apžvelgiami prūsams ir kuršiams būdingi X–XIII a. papuošalų ir ginklų tipai. Atliktas „kuršių“ tipo radinių kartografavimas prūsų žemėse. Nagrinėjamas kuršių kapų egzistavimo prūsų teritorijoje galimybės klausimas. Taip pat skiriama dëmesio prūsų moterų XI–XIII a. degintiniams ir XII a. – XIII a. pirmosios pusės spėjamiesiems prūsų griautiniams kapams. Prūsų ir kuršių kultūrinių ryšių kontekste glaustai analizuojami XI/XII–XV a. archeologiniai paminklai, esantys Kuršių nerijoje. Aptariami pagrindiniai prekybos keliai ir galimi importo bei

The article analyses late 14th – early 15th-century scale armour plates from the grounds of the castles in Vilnius. This as yet poorly investigated topic allows a broader survey of the construction and development of the armour of the Vilnius castle garrisons and the GDL army to be made. The amour plate analysis showed that the armour elements used by some GDL warriors in the late 14th – early 15th century had ties to the armour used in the lands of the Eastern Slavs and in Western Europe at this time and somewhat prior to it. Scale armour subtypes, which have no analogies and can probably be associated with local armour manufacturers, were also discovered.

The article describes the archaeological excavation conducted on Utenos Street in Ukmergė during 2007–2008. The finds are presented in the context of Ukmergė’s social – economic and political development in the 18th century. It also reviews the general situation of the city’s historical and archaeological investigation, acquainting the reader with the digital reconstruction method used in recreating 18th-century household ceramic vessels.