Laidosena Lietuvoje XIII-XIV a

LTNaujausi tyrinėjimai Rytų Lietuvoje, ypač tokioje "pagonybės citadelėje" kaip Kernavė, rodo, kad šiame regione jau XIII-XIV a. egzistavo dideli kapinynai su griautiniais kapais. 1993 m. šalia Kernavės-Kriveikiškių piliakalnio buvo aptiktas kapinynas. 1994 m. čia pradėti platūs tyrinėjimai, siekiant išsiaiškinti paminklo dydį bei tikslesnį datavimą. Iškasta 60 m ilgio 5 m pločio perkasa, kertanti dalį kalvos rytų-vakarų kryptimi. Surasti 63 kapai. Jau 15 cm gylyje pasirodė pirmosios kapų duobės, o kiek giliau - ir mirusiųjų palaikai. Visos duobės - stačiakampio užapvalintais kampais formos, iki 220 cm ilgio bei 70 cm pločio. Mirusieji laidoti nedeginti, aukštielninki, galvomis orientuoti į vakarus, kartais į šiaurės- vakarus. Rankos sulenktos ir sudėtos liemens arba krūtinės srityje, kartais ištiestos. Kai kuriuose kapuose pavyko aptikti karstų liekanų. Panašu, kad iš pradžių mirusieji buvo paguldomi į duobę ir tik paskui apdedami lentomis iš šonų, galų bei viršaus. Apskritai, kapai nėra turtingi įkapėmis. 27 kapuose radinių iš viso nerasta. Daugelyje kapų pavyko aptikti tik po vieną-dvi įkapes. Dažniausiai tai įtveriamieji peiliai, įvairios diržų grandys, sagtys bei sagos. Tačiau iš bendro konteksto ryškiai išsiskyrė keli turtingi moterų kapai [p. 81].

EN[...] Cemeteries in Lithuania with firmly dated XIV cent, cremation burials are not common, and in East Lithuania none have yet been found. Cremation dated to the XIII cent, are somewhat more numerous, but in general it is quite difficult to distinguish them from XII cent, burials. Recent archaeological research in East Lithuania, particulary in the pagan citadel of Kernavė, has found large cemeteries with inhumation burials with date to the XIII-XIV cent. Excavation at the XIII-XIV cent, cemetery at Kernavė began in 1994. All of the burials (to date 63 have been found) represent inhumations in plank coffins, supine, with heads oriented to the West and, more rarely, to the North-West. Burial goods in many of the graves are rathar modest or are entirely absent. But there are also a significant number of richly equipped burials with gilded headres elements, silver temple ornaments, silver and bronze rings, broze bracelets, necklaces of glass and enamel beads as well as imported Kauri shells, and schist spindle worls. The grave goods are fully analogous to the XIII-XIV cent, artifacts found in the town of Kernavė and the hill forts. In facts, a few artifacts found in the town and in the cemetery were produced from the same casting mould.The town and the cemetery of Kernavė existed until 1390. Abandonment of the cemetery is well established by the stratigraphy, as the layer above the burials is represented by thehomstead of Kriveikiškiai, dated to the first half of the XV cent, by a coin (found in the oven) bearing symbols of Vytis and the Gediminas citygate. A later Christian period cemetery (end of XIV cent. - XVII cent.) at Kernavė was relocated to the area near the old church. The XIII-XIV cent, cemetery at Kernavė can not be regarded as a cemetery for foreign craftsmen or Russian Orthodox merchants. Although it does contain a substantial number of imported items, the majority of the grave goods are of local manufacture and are tipical of those from a thriving medieval town. The Kernavė cemetery is not exceptional, particularly in East Lithuania. For example, burials dated to the XIII-XIV cent., including some with inhumations, are found at Sariai (Švenčionys region), Pušalotas (Molėtai region), Rumšiškės (Kaišiadorys region) and Obeliai (Ukmergė region). They resemble the so called "stone graves" from West Belorus, in terms of burial goods, inhumtions and head orientaded to the West. The later are described by the excavating archeaologists (Sedov V1968; Kvietkovskaja 1993) as non-Christian burials, and are associated with Jatvingian (Baltic) ethnic populations.In summary, it is clear that the peak of the cremation tradition in East Lithuania was the XI-XII cent. This phenomena is associated with the Šventaragis "reforms" mentioned in the Lithuanian Grand Duchy annual Chronics (Toporov V1980; 1987). The practice of inhumation began to spread widely by the second half of the XIII cent., and especially during the XIV cent. Cremation was retained only for the occasional burial of high-ronked noble. This pattern is supported by various.