Lietuvos istorijos institutas

The following article discusses the technological analyses of 15 bronze low flanged axes preserved in the National Museum of Lithuania and the Vytautas the Great War Museum. The analyses were carried out in order to determine the quality and functionality of the axes. For the first time in East Baltic archaeology, bronze axes were x-rayed, revealing their casting quality as well as the knowledge and the state of technology the local craftsmen possessed. To acquire more information about the alloys used to produce the axes, chemical analyses were also carried out on some of the axes. Furthermore, traces of the manufacturing process and usage of the axes were documented on the surface of the bronze objects. These traces, especially on the edge of the axes, point to their use as woodworking tools but also as weapons. Due to many relicts of casting equipment from the Late Bronze Age, we can be sure that many bronzes were produced locally. Although some casting moulds are known from the Early Bronze Age in the Baltic States, nevertheless a large percentage of Bronze Age axes may have been imported.

The production and distribution of the so-called KAM axes has been the subject of much discussion in Bronze Age research. The origins and technological sources of KAM axe production remain still unknown. KAM axes are characterized by long necks, a decoration matrix consisting of a number of raised horizontal lines that are looped and crosscut by one or more vertical lines. However, there are several subtypes of KAM axes, the existence of which contradicts the hypothesis about uniform axe distribution across the vast region between Central Sweden and the Volga-Kama region. Indeed, the rich assemblage of clay casting molds found in the Late Bronze Age fortified settlements in the Eastern Baltic region reveals that KAM axes were available in different sizes and shapes even if they appear to be uniform at the first glance. This paper presents the results of reconstructing clay casting molds through 3D laser scanning and postprocessing to (1) release a much more accurate view of molds and decoration patterns of the axes; (2) provide a comparison of axe parameters from the Eastern Baltic, Scandinavia, and the Volga-Kama regions, (3) further inquire about local and foreign productions; and (4) ascertain the significance of the decoration matrix as a communication code in the Late Bronze Age exchange and trade.

The article presents a classification of the pottery dated to PIII–B2/C1 and a spatial analysis of the pottery, bone, and metal artefacts found at the Narkūnai archaeological complex (Utena District, Leliūnai Eldership). First, a re-examination of Narkūnai’s prehistoric chronology was made using typological studies. Second, on the basis of 14 879 analysed potsherds and 1534 separately examined rim sherds, pottery styles were distinguished in the context of the development of early hillforts’ pottery. Last, by applying a behavioural archaeology theory, the paper analyses the formation processes of the cultural layers and the fragment of the representativity of the archaeological context. A spatial analysis allowed the fragment of the 2nd century palaeorelief to be distinguished, the abandonment process of a single building to be examined, and four asynchronous metallurgical activity areas in the ‘Didysis’ Narkūnai Hillfort to be identified. The latter reflections on prehistoric behaviour are discussed in the context of the appearance and abandonment of the early hillforts and the relationship of the local communities with early metallurgy in the East Baltic region.

This article presents an investigation of the classi'cation, chronology, production, and usage of the technical ceramics from the ‘Didysis’ Narkūnai Hillfort (Utena District, Leliūnai Eldership). An attempt to resolve the problem of classifying vessels as miniature cups or crucibles was made using XRF, microchemical qualitative, SEM/EDX, and x-radiography analyses. Based on the results, a significant quantity of the miniature cups previously interpreted as crucibles are now considered to be unrelated to metallurgical activities. The revision of these technical ceramics is prompting a reassessment of the itinerant metalworker hypothesis as the collection is sparse, indicating a specialized metalworking level and an episodic chronological character.