Žeimenos ištakų žvalgomieji tyrimai

LTŽeimenos senslėnio teritorija iki šiol nėra plačiai žvalgyta. Nuo XIX a. pabaigos mokslinėje literatūroje buvo minimi tik pavieniai senslėnio pakrantėse esantys pilkapynai (Švenčionėliai, Sudota, Liūlinė). XX a. 7–9 dešimtmečiais MMT ir KPC darbuotojų, vietos gyventojų dėka bei pavienių archeologų ir vandens turistų iniciatyva identifikuota nemaža dalis senslėnio pakrantėse dabar žinomų pilkapynų ir pavienių pilkapių, surastas Paduobės piliakalnis, Kaltanėnų dvarvietė. 2017 m. į ŠR nuo Kaltanėnų miestelio, ties Žeimenos ištakomis iš Žeimenų (Nepirių) ežero atlikti platesnio masto žvalgomieji tyrimai, identifikuoti du nauji archeologiniai objektai – įvairialaikė senovės gyvenvietė (dalis jos yra po vandeniu) ir stipriai apardyto piliakalnio liekanos. [...]. [Iš teksto, p. 31]

ENIn 2017, the present author conducted a broader scale evaluation at the source of the Žeimena, Lake Žeimenys (Nepiriai), to the NE of the town of Kaltanėnai (Švenčionys district, East Lithuania) and identified two new archaeological objects: a multi period ancient settlement (part of which consists of pile-dwellings) and the remains of a severely disturbed hillfort. Kaltanėnai Hillfort was created on a long, fairly flat erosion terrace promontory with a current height of roughly 5.5–6 m above the lake’s waters. On the NW side, the promontory is bounded by the Žeimena flowing out of the lake and on the E by Lake Žeimenys (Fig. 1). In 2017, six test pits (a total of 6.5 m2 ) were excavated more towards the centre of the promontory. The investigation showed that the surface of the enclosure that existed at the top of the promontory has been lowered by over 1 m, all of the soil having been pushed to the edges and feet of the E and NW slopes, thereby forming 1.6–2 m thick fill layers of sand–sandy loam. An oval or triangular enclosure, which was roughly 38–40 m long SW–NE and up to 25–33 m wide at the centre–SW side, had existed at the top of the promontory. A ditch must have been dug and perhaps even a small bank created on the SW edge.Sherds of hand built and partly thrown–hand thrown vesselsas well as flint finds were found on the hillfort, which dates to the 2nd century bc–5th century ad but the promontory area had also been inhabited in the Mesolithic–Neolithic and 19th– early 20th century. Kaltanėnai Ancient Settlement I was found on both banks at the source of the Žeimena. On the left bank it was created on a roughly 120 x 15–35 m shoal, which lies about 0.2–1 m beneath the water’s surface and is to the S and SE of the deepest part of the Žeimena’s bed. The settlement on the right bank of the Žeimena was created on a low, sandy, elongated teardrop-shaped ridge. The remains of various wooden structures were recorded in the riverbed and the remains of a former manor bridge dating to the 17th–19th centuries were found nearby. In addition various finds were discovered. The settlement is multi-period, but more intense human activity lasted as much as several millennia. A total of 155 sherds of hand built earthenware vessels were found, among which Middle and Late Neolithic pottery with crushed shell temper predominated. A small number of sherds with mineral temper, the smooth outer surface of which was decorated with fairly wide horizontal bands with cord impressions at their bottom or short rows of diagonal cord impressions, were also found. Sherds decorated with small dimples, openwork, and even a zigzag line were also encountered. These sherds should be dated to the early Bronze Age (19th–15th centuries bc) and be ascribed to the Trzciniec Cultural sphere. Significantly fewer sherds of earthenware vessels with brushed, rough, and smooth surfaces and fairly coarse or even large crushed granite temper were found. Three stone axes with shaft holes, two celts, two handstones, 18 flint finds, and several bone finds. [From the publication]