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Archaeological excavations are underway here in preparation for the construction of a main gas pipeline to Poland, which will run through the now shore of Lake Kalviai in Šventininkai.
The shores of this lake were rich in prehistoric settlements.
His remains are now being excavated by archaeological expeditions from three research institutions: VU, the Lithuanian Institute of History, and the University of Klaipeda.
The VU expedition, led by archaeologist Agnė Žilinskaitė, is digging the north shore of the lake in the village of Šventininkai.
It is planned to excavate a section of almost 50 m long and 14 m wide, covering the shore of the lake and the hill next to it.
People live in this place more than once.
Many Stone Age finds dating from the Late Mesolithic (6,000 BC), the Late Neolithic (3,000 BC).
The findings found, the soil samples and other materials collected during the investigation are intended to be tested in various VU laboratories.
Photo of the participants of the VU archaeological expedition. / VU archaeological expedition in the village of Šventininkai
Stone Age communities lived
According to A.Žilinskaitė, archaeologists have been investigating the ancient settlement of Šventininkai since the end of March.
“And so far, day after day,” he said.
Photo of the participants of the VU archaeological expedition. / Head of VU Research A.Žilinskaitė
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the quarantine was not interrupted, according to the head of the VU expedition.
Initially, there weren’t many researchers, and they work outdoors at certain distances.
“Later, students from the Department of Archeology of the Faculty of History of the University joined. It is only now that our company has expanded. So, since that quarantine has been relaxed, we have also adapted, we have always worked in a clean field, ”said the archaeologist.
The old settlement of Šventininkai was known before. According to A.Žilinskaitė, the fact that this area was inhabited in prehistoric times was felt from 1994-1995.
“However, only the pipeline route that crosses this area has forced archaeologists to carry out detailed, detailed, and extensive investigation here. So apparently, if it weren’t for the pipeline, it might not have been explored further. background ”, he considered.
Photo of the participants of the VU archaeological expedition. / VU archaeological expedition in the village of Šventininkai
VU archaeologists are exploring the ancient shore of Lake Kalviai, which is now a flooded and dilapidated site.
Thousands of years ago, in the Stone Age, settlements were located here.
Speaking of the oldest finds here, A.Žilinskaitė mentioned the tip of the boom, which can be dated to 9,000. meter. pr. Kr.
Photo of the participants of the VU archaeological expedition. / Boom tip, which postpones the beginning of the history of the saints until the ninth mill. pr. Kr.
Expeditions on facebook account Saints 2020 A retouched flat feather of the inserts is reported to have been found in the Pulli camp in the lower reaches of the Pärnu River in Estonia, where its dating is based on C14 dates.
Similar tips often occur in the Stone Age camps in Latvia and the northern part of Lithuania.
“According to preliminary data, this is the first find we have found so far. And the findings continue to date chronologically throughout the Stone Age: this is also the Mesolithic, the Neolithic. And there are isolates later. The fact is that in the Stone Age, this place was comfortable to live in. The question is how comfortable, but people lived here, “said the head of the VU archaeological expedition.
According to preliminary data, this is the first finding we have found so far.
Many findings
During the excavations at Šventininkai, the finds are abundant.
According to A.Žilinskaitė, there are already between 5 and 6 thousand of them.
“But if we continue to do it well, the number of findings may exceed the limit of 10 thousand. But such are dear to us, unexpected and most beautiful, if we call it examples, it could be amber, some pieces of amber. Baltic amber is not so often found elsewhere. These are not items, amber is not processed, “said the archaeologist.
Photo of the participants of the VU archaeological expedition. A piece of amber was found at the bottom of Perkasa
The account of the expedition on Facebook states that it will be explained later how this Baltic gold originated on the prehistoric coast of Lake Kalviai, whether it was brought by man or by natural glacial processes.
Among other exceptional finds, according to A.Žilinskaitė, there is a part of a stone ax, beautiful pottery, adorned, decorated with holes. It belongs to the Narva culture.
“Most of the finds are from flint. Those flint items are also full of classics and beautiful: scrapers, cutters, drills, spears, heart tips. A beautiful set of findings typical of a Stone Age settlement.” explained the head of the VU archaeological expedition.
A beautiful set of findings typical of a Stone Age settlement.
A.Žilinskaitė said the first separate findings appear after removing the grass.
Then there is the Armenian about 20 cm, the thinnest layer fixed by archaeologists so far.
Below are other cultural strata whose Armenia did not confuse unless named.
Photo of the participants of the VU archaeological expedition. / VU archaeological expedition in the village of Šventininkai
“We study Perkas in the motionless ground, that is, in the ground, in geology, when we see that the layers of human activity are coming to an end and the geology is already beginning, the immovable ground. It varies from about 50 cm with us, so far the deepest place is almost 2 meters “, – said the archaeologist.
Great work to come
A.Žilinskaitė said that so far it is not bold to speak about the size of the Stone Age settlement located near Kalviai Lake, what kind of people and how they lived there.
He stressed that investigations are still ongoing.
When you finish investigating the planned area, you can see that not everything will be investigated, something is on the side, above, etc.
“Therefore, I hope that in the near future we can further expand that research,” hopes the archaeologist.
The investigation is scheduled for several more weeks.
If archaeologists have the opportunity to explore a larger area, the investigation could continue for another month, a maximum of two.
Photo of the participants of the VU archaeological expedition. / VU archaeological expedition in the village of Šventininkai
A.Žilinskaitė also mentioned that the cultural layers of the studied area were plowed during plowing, because the field was plowed for a long time.
In addition, all kinds of natural processes must be taken into account.
“Another very important thing is that we initially dug, collected the findings, took the samples, and the great work will only start at home when all the samples are turned in to the labs that will date certain samples and get those actual dates.
Samples will be delivered to the laboratories, which will screen all seeds or other natural remains that will inform us about the natural environment, perhaps nutrition. Here I am only modeling theoretically. We will have the answers to those questions only later, when we return from the fieldwork and give everything to our colleagues for investigation, ”said A.Žilinskaitė.
The great work will only start at home when all the samples are turned in to the labs that will date certain samples and we’ll get those actual dates.
Meaningful research
The first people arrived in the present territory of Lithuania retreating to the glaciers.
According to A.Žilinskaitė, the final Paleolithic is the first period in our country, since then one can expect to find artifacts left by people.
Photo of the participants of the VU archaeological expedition. / VU archaeological expedition in the village of Šventininkai
In terms of Stone Age settlements, extensive scientific archaeological research, according to the head of the VU Archaeological Expedition, is less common.
They are rarely excavated thoroughly.
“This is a specific investigation, because most of the research carried out during the year is more related to some type of construction, dominates urban archeology, etc. The fact that prehistoric objects are examined much less frequently is a nuance. very important ”, stressed the importance of archaeological excavations in Šventininkai.
The fact that prehistoric objects are studied much less frequently anyway is a very important nuance.
As A.Žilinskaitė mentioned, the highest concentration of Stone Age settlements is found in southern Lithuania.
Photo of the participants of the VU archaeological expedition. Find of black overgrowth
In prehistoric terms, the region under study by the expeditions of various archaeologists is now less well known, not extensively explored.
“I think it will be useful not only for research of this era in general in scientific terms, but also in terms of cognition of the region. Because there are currently even three scientific expeditions in the same section. This means that it does not matter who has been here “Before, the region is archeologically rich. I have no doubts that after systematizing the data of all the expeditions that they excavate in the vicinity, a good job will definitely come out that describes various archaeological eras in this region,” said A.Žilinskaitė.
I have no doubt that the systematization of the data of all the expeditions that mine in the vicinity will certainly lead to a very pleasant work that describes various archaeological eras in this region.
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