Šv. Arkangelo Mykolo bažnyčios Rietave šventorius

LTISS pagal dar 2007 m. parengtą projektą atliko Šv. Arkangelo Mykolo bažnyčios (G337; Laisvės aikštė 2, Rietavo miestas (A1830) šventoriaus žvalgomuosius tyrimus aplink bažnyčią įrengiamos maždaug 300 m ilgio lietaus kanalizacijos vietoje. Kadangi 2008–2009 m. žiemą, atliekant bažnyčios rūsio archeologinius tyrimus, aptiktas išlikęs XVI–XVIII a. kapas bei suardytų kapų liekanų, lietaus kanalizacijos vamzdyną rekomenduota pravesti požeminiu gruntų gręžimo būdu, netiriant ir nesuardant kapų, kurių turėjo būti ir bažnyčios šventoriuje. Dėl to tirta tik vandens surinkimui suprojektuotų šulinių vietose, kurių numatyta įrengti 13. Jų vietose tirti šurfai panaudoti ir kaip požeminio gruntų gręžimo technologinės duobės. Šv. Arkangelo Mykolo bažnyčios šventoriuje ištirtas bendras 59,5 m2 plotas, tiriant 4 m2 (2 x 2 m) dydžio šurfais, išskyrus šurfą 9, kuris padidintas iki 7 m2 dydžio, ir šurfą 14 (4,5 m2) [p. 296].

EN59.5 m2 was excavated in the yard of the Church of St Michael in Rietavas (West Lithuania) in mostly 4 m2 (2 x 2 m) test pits. Two rows of test pits were excavated along the church’s W and E sides at a distance of 1–6.5 m from the church and tower walls. A row of test pits: 1 (near the SW corner), 4, 10, 11, and 2 (near the NW corner) was excavated in a S–N direction near the W wall and the row of test pits: 7 (near the SE corner), 8, 14, 9, and 3 in the same direction near the E wall. Test pits 12 (W, beside the tower) and 13 (E, beside the E door and the tower) were excavated near the front of the church and closer to the tower. Test pits 5 (E) and 6 (W) were excavated to the side and at the centre of the apse at the S end of the church. The test pits were dug to the planned depth of 1.5–1.6 m or down to sterile soil. Test pit 1 contained only 17 hand-forged nails, 5 thrown pot rims and bottoms, and shards of a slate writing tablet. Test pit 2 contained many human bones (over 500), the broadening of the current church tower’s foundation, 4 coins: a Sigismund I the Old (1506–1548) or Sigismund August silver half groat?, a tsarist Russian copper denga, and 2 deformed coins that are stuck together, a flat brooch, a signet ring, the bore core from a stone axe, an iron loop, 34 hand-forged nails, cast sheet ornaments, thrown pottery sherds, and glass bottle shards. Test pit 3 contained parts of 3 inhumations, a medallion, 2 band rings, a signet ring, 65 hand-forged small and large nails, 15 sherds of thrown pot rims and bottoms as well as of pots decorated with linear ornaments or a light green glaze, writing tablet shards, and window glass shards. Test pit 4 contained pieces of 2 knife blades, 26 hand-forged nails, tin calmes (US cames) and wire for stained glass, a cast sheet ornament, a fused bronze artefact, thrown potsherds, shards of late stained glass, and many isolated human bones from destroyed graves.At a depth of 16 cm in test pit 5, a stone rainwater gutter, part of a destroyed grave, a ribbed bronze bead with 3 lobes, a large pendant cross with an shorter, oblique upper crossbar, 3 hand-forged nails, 23 sherds of thrown vessel rims and stove tile mouths, and glass shards from a bottle were discovered. Test pit 6 contained another gutter, 7 hand-forged nails, 15 sherds of thrown vessel rims and stove tile mouths, and 4 shards from a glass bottle. Test pit 7 contained the W end of a stone gutter, the remains of an inhumation, about 500 human bones from destroyed graves, 22 hand-forged small and large nails, and 39 sherds from thrown pots. Test pit 8 contained a Second World War rubbish pit with many window glass shards, an iron loop, 3 uncertain artefacts, 22 hand-forged nails, the rims, bottoms, handles, and walls of thrown pots, and stove tile mouths. Test pit 9 contained the site of an older foundation, a masonry crypt with interred human bones, part of an inhumation under the crypt (which contained 5 signet rights and a small bronze buckle with a small cast sheet decoration), 2 coins: John II Casimir (1648–1668) shillings, a medallion, part of a ground down knife, a pendant, a cast sheet ornament, cast sheet bronze pieces and strips, large and small nails, writing tablet shards, stove tiles fragments, potsherds, window glass shards, a small piece of daub coated with white lime mortar, and a shard of stained glass. Test pit 10 contained a bronze band ring, 32 hand-forged nails, pieces of cast sheet metal, sherds of thrown pots, writing tablet fragments, and stained glass shards. Test pit 11 contained an undisturbed part of a grave, a John II Casimir shilling, a knife, a piece of fused bronze, 18 hand-forged and factory-made nails, 5 sherds from thrown pots, and pieces of cast sheet bronze.Test pit 12 contained the foundation of the church’s NW tower, 2 water gutters, 23 hand-forged nails, 12 sherds of thrown pot bottoms and walls, 2 writing tablet fragments, 2 shards of stained glass, and pieces of cast sheet metal. Test pit 13 also contained a water gutter, 2 silver coins: a Grand Duke Alexander (1492–1506) penny and a 1688 Swedish öre, the tip of a knife blade, 11 hand-forged nails, part of an uncertain iron artefact, pieces of cast sheet tin, 5 sherds from thrown pots or stove tiles, shards of stained glass, fragments of a writing tablet, and shards from a glass bottle. At a depth of 30–43 cm in test pit 14 a stone and mortar foundation up to 1.4 m wide and probably belonging to the old Rietavas church as well as part of a grave containing a 1561 Sigismund August silver half groat were unearthed. The trench on both sides of the churchyard fence contained a bronze coin, 6 potsherds, 9 hand-forged nails, a melted bronze artefact, and a piece of cast sheet metal. The investigation of the Rietavas churchyard showed that the current church was built on a 15th–16th-century cemetery and in the yard, with parish graves, of the church that stood there.