Lietuvos istorijos institutas

This article examines 22 metal artefacts from Lithuania dated to the Bronze and Pre-Roman Iron Ages (2nd–1st millennium BC). Most were found either accidentally or through metal detecting, while some were uncovered during archaeological investigations. Additionally, archaeological excavations were conducted at three sites where Early Bronze Age axes have previously been found. This article presents the results of these investigations, alongside an analysis of the typology, chronology, and distribution of the newly discovered Bronze Age artefacts. Additionally, a comprehensive contextual analysis was carried out on all 368 metal artefacts that date from this period in Lithuania. The analysis draws on data concerning find contexts, surrounding environmental features, archival records, and associations with other contemporary archaeological sites. The study proposes the hypothesis that some stray bronze artefacts may be interpreted as hoards, either as votive deposits or as intentionally concealed items.

Shovel-test sampling was used as a method to investigate the prehistoric land-use of two prehistoric clusters in Yli-Ii (Finland). Starting from a single surface-visible pit dwelling, an attempt was made to define the boundaries of the clusters and to compare different activity areas. The dwellings in the investigated area had a very similar structure but different find assemblages and distribution. The results of two years of shovel-test sampling are in line with the results of the excavation. They confirm some kind of economic specialization not only inside the dwellings but also in the landscape around the dwellings.

The article is devoted to a discussion of the results of research conducted in implementing the ‘Archaeolandscape’ project in the Jakšiškis microregion. The research was conducted in the vicinity of one of the largest Lithuanian barrow group, the Jakšiškis and Knitiškiai barrow cemeteries. The most important objective during the project was the search for the settlements of the communities that left them and a series of related questions: what size was the settlement, how intense was its life, what was the nature of the activities in it, and what was its relationship with the nearby sites. An attempt was made to answer these questions using tradition archaeological methods and the spot test.