Lietuvos istorijos institutas

Research on manors is not a new phenomenon in Lithuanian historiography. The formation of manor estates and landholdings in Lithuania has mostly been analyzed from the historical, economic, architectural, art-historical, and heritage conservation perspectives. These studies can be complemented by archaeological material, which has been significantly accumulated over the past three decades, but the importance of which in the study of manor development has not been sufficiently acknowledged. More intensive archaeological research on manors began only in the 1990s. During this period, exploratory surveys were particularly common, gathering initial information about the state of preservation of manor estates, dating them, and defining protected areas. Over the past two decades, the number of archaeological investigations conducted at manor sites has grown significantly. As of 2023, more than 200 manor estates and manor sites in Lithuania have undergone archaeological research. The best-studied sites include the manors and manor locations of Anykščiai, Dubingiai, Kairėnai, Kelmė, Kretinga, Kurtuvėnai, Mantagailiškis, Plungė, Rietavas, Rokiškis, Siesikai, Skaruliai, Stabatiškė, and Šiauliai. The archaeological research material from Lithuanian manor estates has been only sparsely published in detail, and comprehensive works summarizing the collected data are still lacking. This article aims to review the archaeological investigations of manor estates and manor sites carried out in Lithuania, examining their dynamics and scope.