Ažutakio senovės gyvenvietės tyrimai

LT2015 m. buvo vykdomi Ažutakio senovės gyvenvietės (UK 31655) (Švenčionių r., Pabradės sen.) archeologiniai detalieji tyrimai, kurių pagrindinis tikslas-ištirti dalį statomos sodybos kiemo teritorijos. 2015 m. archeologinių tyrimų metu dviejose skirtingose būsimos sodybos kiemo vietose iš viso ištirtas apie 48 m2 dydžio plotas (4 perkasos). Bendras tyrinėto horizonto storis siekė 0,3-1,2 m. Ties senvage tyrinėtas ŠR plotas (24 m2 ) buvo itin sudėtingos startigrafijos-tyrimų metu susidurta su bene visomis įmanomomis geologinėmis nuogulomis. Taigi, apibendrinant tyrimų medžiagą, galima teigti, jog akmens amžiaus kultūrinis horizontas nėra chronologiškai "švarus". Dauguma surastų titnago radinių datuotini mezolito-neolito laikotarpiu ir turėtų būti priskirti Kundos-Narvos kultūrinėms grupėms. Tačiau pasitaikė tiek ankstesnio, tiek vėlesnio laikotarpio pavienių radinių. Nors gyvenvietės kultūrinis sluoksnis daug kur labai apnaikintas ilgalaikio arimo bei sodinant mišką, o ir pačių radinių nėra itin daug, tai vienintelė šiuo metu žinoma senovės gyvenvietė Žeimenos žemupio slėnyje. Visi Ažutakio senovės gyvenvietėje surasti radiniai bus perduoti NM. [...] [p. 59, 64].

ENIn 2015, at Ažutakis old settlement (Švenčionys district), 48 m2 were excavated (in two different investigation zones) in the courtyard of a planned farmhouse. The old settlement had been founded on the sandy–gravelly first terrace and the floodplain, which lies up to 1-4 m above the river’s level and is on the left bank of the Žeimena. The excavated NE area (24 m2 ) (near the old riverbed) was distinguished by especially complex stratigraphy with perhaps every possible geological sediment being encountered during the investigation. On the S periphery of the excavated area (the edge of the tread of the first terrace), in places, a thoroughly ploughed 20–30 cm thick topsoil horizon overlay a 10–25 cm thick layer of brown sand, below which was natural soil: sand gravel and hard rocky layers (large stones, chalk chips, and moraine). On the S side of the central part of the excavated area (terrace riser), the thoroughly ploughed 20–30 cm thick topsoil horizon overlay clay and clay loam horizons (20–50 cm thick) with small pieces of chalk/marl, below which was a harder and ‘more sterile’ clay bed, i.e. natural soil. On the N periphery of the excavated area (the lower part of the riser), a 20–30 cm thick layer of peaty soil, which had been partially ploughed, overlay a series of layers: a 10–15 cm thick layer of grey soil, a 15–30 cm thick layer of black peat, scoured 10–35 cm thick horizons of brown sand–gravel with larger stones, and a layer of whitish silty sand. Archaeological finds were discovered in all of these layers, even on the surface of the natural soil. The total thickness of the excavated horizon at this location was 0.3–1.2 m.The horizon in the SW excavated area (24 m2 ) was 30–60 cm thick, but in the un-earthed structures up to 1 m. In the excavated areas the lithology of the surface horizons was fairly ordinary. Under the thoroughly ploughed topsoil horizon, various sand layers were discovered: in the N part a brown sand layer up to 24 cm thick, which was a settlement’s cultural layer, in the S only brown whitish natural sand. Finds were discovered in the dark grey plough layer and the brown sand horizon. A total of 128 flint, 88 pottery, 2 metal, and 2 glass finds were discovered during the investigation. The finds were sparse and the majority are small and fragmentary (a consequence of the ploughing over a long period). The flint finds were made from fairly good quality grey flint. About 8% of all the flint finds had been in a fire. The bulk of the flint inventory consisted of various-sized flakes (75.78%) while the blades and blade pieces formed only 17.19%. The investigation yielded 4 scrapers, 1 special artefact, 22 blades and blade pieces, 97flakes, 1 exhausted core, and 3 pieces of raw flint. The majority of the flint finds were discovered in the NE excavated area, very few having been from elsewhere. In terms of stratigraphy the absolute majority of the flint finds (~78%) lay in the grey plough layer, the rest in various cultural and geological horizons: layers of brown sand, brown gravelly sand, grey soil, and black peaty soil, which formed a total thickness of about 20–60 cm. No flint find concentration was discovered during this season.In summarising the investigation material, it is possible to say that the stone age cultural horizon is not chronologically "clean". The majority of the discovered flint finds date to the mesolithic-neolithic and should be ascribed to the Kunda-Narva culture groups. But isolated finds from both earlier and later periods were also encountered. The investigation yielded 45 sherds of hand built earthenware vessels, the clay body of which contained finely coarsely crushed granite. The vessel walls were straight (slightly everted) with a slight articulation, while the bases had a heel. The exterior of the sherds were smooth or more or less rough. It appears that almost all of the sherds come from various-sized jars and only several from smaller vessels (bowls). Almost all of the sherds of hand built pottery lay in li - thological layers below the grey plough layer. The sherds of hand built earthenware vessels date to the late 2nd early 4th century and are ascribable to the early pottery with rough surfaces. Four small pieces of clay daub with sand temper should also be ascribed to this period. 39 sherds of partly thrown and hand thrown earthenware vessels were also discovered. The interior surfaces of the majority of the hand thrown vessels were covered with brown glaze. Only several special vessel pieces (rims, bases, and heels) were found. The bulk of the sherds were from various-sized jars and several bowls. One sherd from a white clay plate was also discovered. All of the hand thrown partly thrown vessel sherds were found in the grey plough layer, only several slightly deeper. This household pottery dates to the late 15th mid 20th century and can be ascribed to the Ažutakis old village site.