Kukuliškių piliakalnio su gyvenviete tyrimai

LT2022 m. šiltuoju metų laiku buvo tęsiami žvalgomieji tyrimai Kukuliškių piliakalnio su gyvenviete teritorijoje (UK 44153). Šių metų tyrimų tikslas - surinkti daugiau mokslinių duomenų apie gyvenvietės teritorijoje išlikusį archeologinį kultūrinį sluoksnį. Tyrimai buvo sudaryti iš 3 dalių: zondų kalimo, šurfavimo ir žvalgomosios perkasos tyrimų. Dalis tyrimų atlikta pagal Lietuvos mokslo tarybos Lituanistikos programos finansuotą mokslo projektą „Baltijos pajūrio bendruomenių lokalinių adaptacijų strategijos: Kukuliškių gyvenvietės atvejis“ (S-LIP-22-64, vadovė dr. E. Pranckėnaitė) [p. 85].

ENIn 2022, the archaeological survey that started in 2017 continued in the territory of Kukuliśkiai hillfort and settlement (western Lithuania, Klaipėda district). The survey comprised the insertion of 29 probes and the excavation of 10 test pits (13.84 m2 in total) and 1 trench (10 m2). Regarding their location, 24 probes were inserted around Trench 3, which was excavated in 2020, and 5 probes were inserted along the nature trail. The stratigraphy of all probes down to a depth of 2 m was very similar: forest soil; aeolian sand; an archaeological layer; and sterile soil. The archaeological layer was present in all probe columns except for 14 and 24, where it was not reached due to the sand layer which was artificially raised during the installation of World War II trenches. Test pits 1-10 were placed both within and beyond the protected zone in an attempt to identify the boundary of the settlement and enhance the results generated using boreholes and geophysical surveys in previous years. Archaeological deposits ranging from 0.2 m to 1 m in thickness were detected across the entire protected site area under forest soil (20-30 cm thick) and aeolian sand (0.7-1.8 m thick) layers. Test pits 3 and 8 contained an intense archaeological layer rich in finds and wooden structures (test pit 8). Test pit 8 contained 4 casting moulds, 2 crucible fragments, and sherds of pottery vessels. The lower strata contained a wooden assembly comprised of planks and small wood splinters. Another crucible fragment, smooth and fine-rusticated ware and several pieces of amber were collected adjacent to the wooden assembly. Trench 4, which encompassed test pit 3, revealed an archaeological layer from 0.4 m to 1 m in thickness deposited under the forest soil and aeolian sand layers around 1 m below the surface. The SW area ofthe trench, at a depth of around 1.3 m, contained a cluster of plant stems.The N portion of the trench revealed a wooden assembly of unknown purpose built from 23 peeled logs (split lengthwise) and fine twigs and laid in a NW-SE direction. Signs of processing, such as hewing and chopping, were observed on all of the logs. The assembly was installed on a 30-cm-thick levelling course. A total of 230 artefacts were collected from Trench 4, largely comprising pottery fragments with smooth, brushed, and fine-rusticated surfaces, some with finger stroke marks. Other finds included 59 pieces of amber, a flat-headed bone pin, a ground stone axe, a stone net-sinker, and a hexagonal float made of pine bark. The archaeological layer also contained a large quantity of animal and fish bones and hazelnut shells. The 2022 excavation allowed the approximate size of the settlement to be determined, including the hillfort, which measured around 1.98 hectares. The sites occupation period remained unchanged: 8th-5th centuries BC.