Tarp kasdienybės ir prabangos: restauruoti Lietuvos didžiųjų kunigaikščių rūmų archeologiniai radiniai

ENThis exhibition displays the most recently restored artefacts found in the territory of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania (now Katedros sq. 3). It describes the process of conservation and restoration as well as the importance of using scientific research tools and methods to collect research data about archaeological artefacts. The conservation work was carried out by the restorers of the National Museum - Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. ABOUT THE PALACE OF THE GRAND DUKES OF LITHUANIA. At the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th centuries, a Gothic stone castle was built at the foot of the Castle Hill in Vilnius for defensive purposes. At the end of the 15th century, the castle was begun to be rebuilt into a residence for Lithuanian rulers with Late Gothic features. In the 16th century it was expanded into a Renaissance palace complex. At the beginning of the 17th century the exterior and interior of the Palace acquired Early Baroque features. After being destroyed by the Muscovite army in the middle of 17th century, the Palace was abandoned and then fully demolished at the end of 18th century and the beginning of the 19th centuries. After extensive archaeological investigations of Vilnius Lower Castle territory, which began in 1987, the Lithuanian Parliament passed a law on the reconstruction of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. In 2002, reconstruction of the Palace began, and the archaeological research was completed in 2010. National Museum - Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania was founded in 2009 to collect, preserve and research the history and cultural heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its rulers, especially the rich and important collections of archaeological artefacts and European decorative and fine arts in the restored historical residence of Vilnius Lower Castle.Currently, the Palace is not yet completely reconstructed and thus cant display its most valuable objects in its own building. Therefore, some of the most valuable and interesting objects are now on display in the Museum of Applied Art (Arsenalo St. 3A). The Palace is planned to be fully open to visitors in the summer of 2013. ARCHAEOGICAL RESEARCH AND RESTORATION. During the archaeological investigations in the territory of the Palace in Vilnius Lower Castle from 1987 - 2010, more than 300,000 archaeological artefacts were found in an area of almost 2 hectares, where the cultural layer descends to a depth of up to 8 metres. Most of them date back to the 13th-18th centuries. The archaeological finds reveal the architectural and artistic development of the most important building in Vilnius Lower Castle - the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, the lifestyles of Lithuanian rulers, courtiers and those serving in the Palace, as well as cultural and commercial relations of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. For a long time, the conservation and restoration of the archaeological artefacts from the territory of the Palace was carried out by Castle Research Centre "Lietuvos pilys". Since 2009, the task has been taken over by the National Museum - Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Knowledge of various scientific fields is required when carrying out preservation and restoration of artefacts. It starts with the essential laboratory tests being planned and carried out and extensive data about the artefact gathered. Then, depending on the nature of the artefact, further tests are I carried out, including X-ray photography, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the composition of metals, wood, plant and animal fibre analysis, leather type examination, microbiological, gemmological and other studies. [...]. [From the publication]

• Menotyra / Arts
• Archeologija / Archaeology