Kuršių gyvenvietės Palangos dvaro sodybos teritorijoje

LTPalangos dvaro sodybos teritorijoje (botanikos parke) iki šiol buvo du gerai žinomi ir tyrinėti archeologijos paminklai: Birutės kalnas-piliakalnis su į P esančia įtvirtinta papėdės gyvenviete, XIV a. naudotas kaip alkvietė, ir Žemaičių kalnelio senovės gyvenvietė. Šių tyrimų metu išskirti 6 apgyvendinimo horizontai, datuojami nuo romėniško laikotarpio iki XVI a. gausiausia archeologinė medžiaga ir nepertraukiamas apgyvendinimo tarpsnis yra iš X–XII a.-Pietinio kuršo klestėjimo laikotarpio. 1990 ir 1991 m. apie 90 m į R nuo Birutės kalno tyrinėtas 350 m2 plotas žemiečių kalnelyje. Čia kaip ir Birutės kalne aptikta senovės gyvenvietė su panašiais kultūriniais sluoksniais, datuojamais nuo I tūkst. vidurio iki XIV a. (ATL 1990 ir 1991 metais, V., 1992, t. I, p. 66–68). Abiejose vietose taip pat aptikti vėlyvesni senkapiai. Tyrimų eigoje surinkti duomenys suteikė naujų žinių viduramžių pastatų archeologijai. Du tyrinėti pastatai yra sudegę su savo inventoriumi, gana tiksliai identifikuojamomis struktūromis, funkcinėmis erdvėmis ir planigrafija. Pirminė tyrimų medžiagos analizė taip pat leis naujai pažvelgti į pajūrio gyvenviečių erdvinį išsidėstymą apgyvendinant dinamišką pakrantės kraštovaizdį. Čia, atokiau nuo centro, kelių hektarų erdvėje buvo pasklidusios šeimų sodybos, derlingus žemės naudmenis paliekant tolokai rytuose. Radiniai perduoti į MLIM. [...] [p. 45, 58].

ENIn 2010, the Briai conducted a field evaluation and excavation on the grounds (botanical park) of Palanga manor. The basis of the investigation was the unknown archaeological site discovered during the park’s renovation. In digging a sprinkler system trench, cultural layers from unknown settlements were destroyed to the e and sW of the manor palace. The investigation was conducted in two parallel stages. The aim of the first stage was to conduct an evaluation on the park’s grounds at the sites foreseen for sprinkler system, drainage, and lighting cable trenches. the aim of the second stage was the complete excavation of the newly discovered settlements and the investigation of the segments destroyed during the construction work. 41 test pits (a total of 150 m2) were excavated during the evaluation. The pits were dug down to the cultural layer so as to disturb it as little as possible. In this way only the location of the cultural layer was identified for monument preservation purposes. The space in which the evaluation was conducted is distinguished by a specific geological structure affected by postglacial processes, i.e. the Baltic sea transgressions and blowing sand. as a result, the continental sterile soil formed by the glaciers is not encountered, and a cultural layer could have been destroyed or covered with sand. During the evaluation, it was determined that a 3 ha area on a relief elevation, which is called an embankment of a Baltic glacial lake and is in the e part of the park, was inhabited. The hand thrown ceramics and a piece of silver alloy of scandinavian origin found on the surface of the cultural layer in several test pits allow the period this site was inhabited to be dated to the 10th early 13th centuries.During the evaluation, it was determined that it is necessary to combine Birutė hill and žemaičiai hill, which had been considered separate settlements, into one complex. a cultural layer of sand with small pieces of charcoal, clay daub, and charred stones was discovered about 400 m to the n of Birutė hill in a local settlement remote from the centre. during the excavation, two areas: P1 (66 m2) and P2 (85.5 m2) were excavated. area 1 (P1) was excavated about 60 m to the e of the Count Tiškevičius palace. Two cultural layer horizons were discovered in P1: a late 19th century horizon from the period of the palace’s construction and under a layer of blown sand, a 10th–11th century settlement horizon. The remains of a log building that had burnt down were unearthed and recorded on the edges of P1. The building’s structures are clearly identifiable: at the n wall it had a rectangular hearth, in the ne corner a kitchen with cracked pots in situ, and in the NW corner a working area with a second hearth. On the n, the building had an addition, in which stood a loom that had burnt and collapsed with loom weights in situ. The hand built ceramics discovered in the building and the ring brooch tossed out of the trench dug beside the excavated area allow the settlement to be dated the 10th–11th centuries. Area 2 (P2) was excavated about 70 m to the sW of the Count Tiškevičius palace. The settlement stratigraphy here is multilayered with three clearly distinguishable inhabitation horizons.A building stain was unearthed in the upper horizon immediately below the park field’s sod. After expanding P2, the building’s entire perimeter, the structures of which can, like those of the building in P1, be identified with sufficient precision, was unearthed. against the building’s s wall were a dome stove and a kitchen with cracked pots. The entrance from the se corner was had stone paving. The log construction building also had a utility room addition on the s side. the upper horizon should be dated to the 12th–13th centuries. the stratigraphy of the P2 layers had a clear decline towards the se. the structures of the upper horizon building lay on a slope. stone paving led down to a layer with organic material, i.e. peat with tree branches, which was unearthed in the very se corner. The sap ropel layer discovered here at Habs 4.90 m after making a borehole attests to a boggy body of water, which was confirmed by further excavations. The second horizon contained no clear traces of inhabitation and was distinguished as a layer of sand with humus, i.e. the old ground surface, and a layer of blown sand, which contained a large piece of clay daub and hand thrown ceramics with a shallow reticulate design. Under the blown sand horizon was unearthed a third horizon, which yielded a pleasant surprise. in the s part of the P1 trench were discovered well preserved wooden structures, i.e. sharpened wooden logs laid side by side and probably part of a wooden road-boardwalk laid on the edge of the body of water. The relief in the n part of the excavated area rose upwards, forming the former shore. On it stood a small log cabin, from which a stain of small pieces of charcoal with clay daub as well as a clay hearth pad survived. [...].