EAA 2022: Abstract

The beginning of the 20th c. witnessed a growing interest in Lithuanian hillfort studies. This included several key Iron Age sites, most notably – Apuolė and Senoji Įpiltis. These excavations also uncovered some of the richest assemblages of charred plant remains which facilitated pioneering archaeobotanical studies in Lithuania. However, the start of the Second World War and the following geopolitical turmoil ceased the development of this field. The surviving collections and research data were not organized systematically, and the existing information was gradually forgotten. Eventually, this has resulted in a modern notion that archaeobotanical studies in Lithuania were almost non-existent up until the end of the 20th c. This has often caused either insufficient or excessive criticism of legacy excavations. In worst cases, the data was being ignored altogether.

However, a recent inspection of museum collections highlighted the need to re-evaluate such viewpoint. Many of the pre-WWII finds alongside the original excavation reports have survived in museum storages. Even though both the quality of excavation and the overall condition of museum collections are varied, the surviving field documentation presents an opportunity for re-examination and modern analysis of the legacy material. Also, the results of this study revealed the necessity to re-assess the state of botanical studies in Lithuanian archaeology. Many of the recent advancements in the field were a direct result of the research efforts made in 20s and 30s. Recognizing this enables a meaningful integration of the legacy data into a modern research framework.

Legacy Data, Hillforts, Archaeobotany, Baltic Region, Iron Age

Oral presentation

  Abstract (PDF)

Karolis Minkevicius¹