The Žardė–Laistai–Bandužiai archaeological complex is one of the largest and most unique prehistoric sites in western Lithuania, dating from the 1st millennium BC to the 13th–14th centuries. Within the complex, the ancient settlements of Bandužiai (Žardė) and Bandužiai I are distinguished by the abundance of features linked to production and economic activities. Years of research at the Bandužiai (Žardė) settlement have provided copious amounts of archaeological material, mostly related to metallurgical activities, but its fragmentary nature makes interpretation difficult and highlights the need for an interdisciplinary approach. This paper presents a more comprehensive overview of the Bandužiai (Žardė) settlement through archaeobotanical finds which have been systematically collected but only analysed to a limited extent. The material derives from multiple archaeological contexts, some of which were radiocarbon-dated using AMS. The dates revealed a direct chronology for some archaeological features, extending from the Late Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age, with the exception of the Roman period. The archaeobotanical analysis produced a large dataset of charred and waterlogged plant remains, enabling detailed insights into agricultural practices, settlement structure and environmental conditions over time, and providing rare insights into plant use in production-oriented areas. Results demonstrated that while the main cultivated species varied across different phases, environmental conditions remained relatively stable. Wild and cultivated plants indicated a frequent human presence from the Pre-Roman period, intensifying in later times. Evidence also suggests that the site might have been used differently at certain times, with a clearly defined industrial zone, a possible food preparation zone and even a short-lived domestic zone during the Viking period. These findings provide one of the most comprehensive archaeobotanical datasets from western Lithuania, contributing to wider discussions of agricultural development and human–environment interaction in the eastern Baltic.

In 2021, during underwater archaeological surveys in the lake district of eastern Lithuania, a new settlement was discovered on an island in Lake Bėlis (Švenčionys district). According to 14C AMS data, it dates to the 8th–4th centuries BC. The newly discovered Lake Bėlis island settlement stands out due to its size — it is a very small area of land — and because of its well-preserved structures and functional zones. A distinctive feature of this settlement is the wooden structures — piles — found on the underwater slopes around the island, extending along its entire perimeter. Additionally, the research was conducted in an archaeological layer situated in a wetland environment rich in preserved organic material. This article discusses the research on the island of Lake Bėlis, conducted from 2021 to 2023. In recent years, research in Lithuania has produced a significant amount of original material (new sites or reanalysis of known data) from the Late Bronze Age to the Pre-Roman Iron Age. The evidence analysed in this article suggests that in this period, besides common settlement types — hillforts, unenclosed settlements and lake dwellings — there were also settlements located on natural lake islands.

In 2020, extensive archaeological research was carried out in the western part of the Kalviai Lake valley. New sites were identified, one of which was named Vilūnai 5. It is a sandy open-air site located on a fluvioglacial hill. The archaeological investigations have shown that the site was probably visited by people as early as the Final Palaeolithic, but the most intensive episodes of occupation are seen in the Mesolithic, Subneolithic and Neolithic periods, as well as the beginning of the Metal period. This paper aims to present the results of these excavations. It provides data on the flint and non-flint lithic artefacts and ceramic finds. Although the site does not contain preserved organics, and therefore much data concerning human activity is absent, this paper aims to integrate the Vilūnai 5 site and its archaeological material into the overall context of Stone Age sites around Kalviai Lake’s shores.

Publisher: Klaipėdos universitetas, Journal: Archaeologia Baltica, Title: Atlas of the Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Gary Lock and Ian Ralston. Edinburgh University Press . 2022 — 488 pp., Authors: Gintautas Zabiela

This article discusses the results of a large-scale analysis of five cultural heritage alloy reference materials (CHARM) and their shavings using handheld (pXRF) and stationary energy dispersive (ED-XRF) spectrometers. The primary objective of these studies was to assess the capability of the pXRF and ED-XRF spectrometers as a non-invasive surface-measuring technique used for the analysis of the reference materials and the reliability of the data obtained. The second objective was to evaluate the capability of the pXRF and ED-XRF spectrometers used for the analysis of shavings of the same five reference materials and to assess the data obtained. These objectives required finding the best fitting analytical tools for the comparison, and the assessment of the reliability of the data, and, very importantly, finding reliable models for data analysis and results validity verification. Based on the analysis carried out on the cultural heritage alloy reference materials, it can be concluded that the results of XRF spectrometry obtained from both spectrometers are reliable and can be compared to each other by making reference to four basic conditions: that the provided analysis should be based on certified reference materials of known elemental composition; that analysis be performed according to appropriate measuring methodology (research protocol); that analysing tools (predictive analytics) be clearly defined; and, finally, that testing be done on archaeological artefacts. The reliability and inter-correlation of the results obtained were assessed to determine the possibility of successfully applying XRF spectrometry in the investigation of archaeological artefacts produced from copper alloys.

Publisher: Klaipėdos universitetas, Journal: Archaeologia Baltica, Title: She is from the 21st century - in memoriam Rimutė Rimantienė (25.10.1920–4.07.2023), Authors: Audronė Bliujienė, Dalia Butrimaitė-Ostrauskienė, Gytis Grižas

This paper presents the findings of a research project aimed at reconstructing the subsistence economy of the Late Bronze Age communities in eastern Lithuania. We focused on examining archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological assemblages from three hillforts alongside δ13C and δ15N stable isotope analysis of plant and animal remains. Our results suggest that local populations primarily relied on growing domestic plants and animals for their subsistence. By the Late Bronze Age, they had already adopted a diverse package of cultivated plants, with barley and millet being the main crops. Also, inhabitants relied on pig and goat/sheep as a primary source for their protein intake. Finally, δ13C and δ15N measurements suggest that farmers engaged in intensive agriculture with semi-permanent field systems and moderate application of manure.

The article presents the data from Kakliniškės 7 settlement site, discovered and excavated in 2020 during the construction of the gas pipeline. The rich and representative collection of pottery and archaeobotanical material gathered in the site have provided valuable data on the hitherto unknown 4th century BC in Lithuania. Pottery such as that found at Kakliniškės 7 has not previously been identified, and is therefore referred to here as Kakliniškės Ware. These are pots with slightly curved walls, rounded shoulders and vertical rims, featuring a striated surface topped with an additional coarse layer. The defined attributes of this new type of pottery have allowed the identification of the same ware in other settlement and burial sites in southeastern Lithuania and the Trans-Nemunas region. All of these settlement sites share some common features; most likely they are the sites of short-lived farmsteads belonging to highly dispersed settlements. Such data allow us to hypothesise a hitherto unidentified cultural group that briefly spread in southern Lithuania in the 4th century BC. This challenges the prevailing model of a static cultural development and a homogeneous material culture in the 1st millennium BC in all of eastern Lithuania. Our data show that the cultural situation here was much more dynamic than previously thought.

The article presents the results of investigations at Kvietiniai archaeological site. Large-scale excavations carried out as part of the implementation of an infrastructure development project have provided very important new data on prehistoric settlement in western Lithuania. The excavations revealed a multi-period archaeological site that contains traces of activity spanning from the Mesolithic to the Early Iron Age. Significant data have been obtained on Bronze Age pottery which is almost unknown to date. The Bronze Age is represented at Kvietiniai by a number of previously unknown or undescribed pottery types. The typology of this pottery is still somewhat problematic, due to the small quantity of it and the lack of similar finds from other sites, as well as the absence of material suitable for secure dating. We managed to define in detail and date one of them: the most abundantly found Kvietiniai-Tojāti Ware, dated to ca 1300–1100 cal BC. In addition, excavations at Kvietiniai have provided important data on the beginnings of agriculture. The earliest cereal grains in the east Baltic to date, i.e. barley, dated to ca 1400–1200 cal BC, were found here. The low amount of cereals and other data indicate just the beginning of agriculture rather than its developed stage. Meaningful data were also collected from discovered graves from the middle of the 1st millennium BC. Traces of rituals previously unnoticed anywhere in this culture, such as putting into graves pottery sherds left by the site’s earlier inhabitants, were found at Kvietiniai as well.

A hoe is a hand tool which appeared in Lithuania in post-glacial times together with the first population. Later, in the Mesolithic, the hoe became a universal tool used for versatile foraging purposes. Only antler hoes are known from these periods. The same function of hoes continued into the Neolithic/Bronze Age, with the only difference that their shapes changed, adapting to new work related to the cultivation of the first crops. In the Neolithic, stone and wooden hoes appeared along with antler hoes. In the Bronze Age, the function of hoes remained the same as in earlier times, but their wider use was related to hoefarming. The shape of hoes was changing, especially of snake-head hoes, which could be used for various ritual ceremonies. Only in the Middle to Late Bronze Age did the Neolithisation process come to an end, with the development of slash-and-burn agriculture and the domestication of animals. The first horn ards appeared in the Late Bronze Age.