Kašučių senųjų laukų tyrimai

LT2012 m. VU tęsė Kašučių (Kretingos r., Darbėnų sen.) senųjų laukų (UK 12304) archeologinius tyrinėjimus (žr. ATL 2001 metais, V., 2002, p. 20–22; ATL 2006 metais, V., 2007, p. 430–432; ATL 2011 metais, V., 2012, p. 567– 569). Šiuose tyrinėjimuose taip pat dalyvavo Tartu universiteto (Estija) profesorius Valter Lang. Archeologiniams tyrimams buvo pasirinkti du objektai-akmenų aptvaro pylimas ir jo viduje esanti viena krūsnių. Šių tyrimų tikslas-padaryti akmenų aptvaro pjūvį ir ištirti dalį krūsnies, esančios jo viduje. 2012 m. tyrimams buvo iškelti šie uždaviniai: 1. Išsiaiškinti akmenų aptvaro paskirtį bei nustatyti jo sąsajas su viduje esančiomis krūsnimis; 2. Nustatyti struktūrų aukštį, krovimo būdą; 3. Paimti grunto geocheminiams tyrimams; 4. Paimti angliukų ėminius radiokarbono tyrimams. Akmenų aptvaras yra Kašučių miške, apie 1 km į ŠR nuo tilto per Akmenos upę kelyje Darbėnai–Kūlupėnai, į P–PR nuo Akmenos ir Vaineikupio santakos, nežymioje pakilumoje. Š dalyje konstrukcija galais remiasi į Vaineikupio slėnio kraštą. Šį aptvarą 1980 m. aptiko Ignas Jablonskis. Aptvaras dar kartą buvo apžiūrėtas 2004 m. VU ir KM žvalgomosios ekspedicijos metu. 2012 m. archeologinių tyrimų metu skersai aptvaro pylimą buvo ištirta viena 24 m2 dydžio perkasa (perkasa 5). Jos koordinatės LKS 94 koordinačių sistemoje: ŠV kampo-X6210647,22 Y332815,26; ŠR-X6210643,45, Y332823,44; PR-X6210640,73, Y332822,09, PV-X6210645,49 Y332814,34; išpjovos ŠV kampo-X6210644,12, Y332817,16; išpjovos PV kampo-X6210643,41, Y332816,78. [...] [p. 572-573].

ENIn 2012, VU, together with KM, continued the excavation of the Kašučiai (Kretinga district, NW Lithuania) fossil fields. Tartu University (Estonia) Professor Valter Lang also participated in this investigation. Two objects were selected: a stone enclosure’s baulk (trench 5) and one of the clearance cairns inside the enclosure (trench 6). The goal of the investigation was to make a section of the stone enclosure and excavate part of a clearance cairn inside it. The most important objectives were taking charcoal samples for 14C testing and soil samples for geochemical tests. After excavating the baulk’s section, it was determined that the baulk had been created from medium (25x15x8 cm, 22x16x7 cm, 11x8x8 cm) and larger sized (47x30x20 cm, 37x37x21 cm, 34x26x16 cm) stones. Larger (100x68x35 cm, 34x26x16 cm, 51x50x20 cm) stones had been placed fairly closely together on the baulk’s edges. The baulk was roughly 4.5 m wide and 38–51 cm high. The ground inside the baulk was significantly (about 50–63 cm) lower than the ground outside it. Based on analogous objects in other countries it is possible to make the assumption that the enclosure could have been used to protect animals or for religious rites. In addition, a whetstone was found among the stones of the baulk’s interior side and a posthole (?) was recorded on the baulk’s E edge.In addition to the baulk section, one clearance cairn inside the enclosure was excavated. The cairn was 3.4 m in diameter NE–SW and 3.6 m NW–SE and was composed of fairly tightly packed, various-sized stones: large (roughly 65x45x40 cm, 44x25x13 cm, 60x25x20 cm), medium (13x11x7 cm, 19x12x10 cm), and small (12x8x5 cm, 9x7x6 cm). The large stones were mostly concentrated on the cairn’s edges. After excavating the cairn’s section (15 m2), the cairn was determined to be 4.2 m long in the section and from 43–45 cm high in the E to 70 cm high in the centre. The charcoal at its base was radiocarbon dated to 809–486 bc. The Sector of Geochemistry at the Nature Research Centre GGI Laboratory of Geoenvironmental Research performed geochemical tests on the soil samples and found high concentrations of phosphorus, sulphur, potassium, and other elements. All of this definitely shows that there had been a strong an thro pogenic impact on the natural environment. During the 2012 field survey, a stone with bowl-shaped depressions that had not been recorded anywhere up until now was found. The stone is roughly 2.65x1.32 m, has a visible height of 50 cm, and a flat, almost smooth top. It was discovered by Tartu University Professor, Valter Lang.