Archeologiniai žvalgymai ir žvalgomieji tyrimai Pietų ir Rytų Lietuvoje

LT2007 ir ankstesniais metais autorius savo iniciatyva vykdė archeologinius žvalgymus ir žvalgomuosius tyrimus Rytų ir Pietų Lietuvoje. Šių tyrimų metu pakoreguota vieno archeologinio objekto teritorija bei aptikta daug naujų archeologinių vertybių, kurių nemaža dalis yra unikalūs mūsų krašto praeities paminklai. Taip pat 2007 m. buvo atlikti 2 privačių žemės sklypų žvalgomieji tyrimai Ažutakio kaime (Švenčionių r.), kur tyrimų metu taip pat aptiktas vertingas archeologinis objektas. augelis šių naujų archeologijos vertybių surasta ir jų teritorijos nustatytos taikant kuo mažesnius destrukcinius archeologinius tyrimus bei į pagalbą pasitelkiant gretutinių mokslų (paleogeografijos, geomorfologijos, botanikos, dirvožemio tyrimų) teikiamus duomenis. Šių metų tyrimai parodė, kad ir ypač sužalotose archeologijos vertybėse, dažnai įvardijamose kaip visiškai sunaikintos, taikant šiuolaikinę archeologinių tyrimų metodiką, galima gauti daug vertingos mokslinės informacijos. [...] [p. 485].

ENIn 2007 and earlier years the author conducted surveys and evaluations in ast and South Lithuania. uring them, the territory of the Pervieniškės – Žemaitiškė settlement 6 (Švenčionys district) was significantly corrected, expanding it to the and , and 8 new archaeological objects were discovered: 7 old settlements (Ažutakis, Pervieniškiai – Žemaitiškė 7, Varakaliai (Švenčionys district), Lapainia 3–4 (Kaišiadorys district), Girežeris – erežnyčia 3, ubičiai 2 (Varėna district)) and 1 other old settlement, arsūniškis, with the remains of a later village site (Kaišiadorys district). Ažutakis old settlement (Švenčionys district) was founded on the floodplain and the first terrace above it on the left bank of the lower reaches of the Žeimena. Test pits (a total area of 20 m2 ) were excavated during the field evaluation. During it, the old settlement’s cultural layer and the extent of its territory were identified and flint finds (fragments of blades, flakes, and artefacts), sherds of hand built and part thrown vessels, and osteological finds were discovered. The finds date to the esolithic–Bronze Ages and the 16th – mid20th centuries. The Pervieniškiai (Žemaitiškė) old settlement 7 (Švenčionys district district) is near Žaugėda ) is near Žaugėda ) is near Žaugėda spring on the shore of a former shallow lake. The settlement was founded on a headland of dry land, which was once surrounded on three sides by water and was joined to dry land only on the W. Sherds of various hand built vessels (with smooth, stroked, and rough surfaces), flint and stone finds, osteological material, and iron smelting waste were found in abundance in the various ground surface layers, which have been disturbed by ploughing, and in the excavated test pits.The upper part of the settlement’s cultural layer was significantly destroyed in places during reclamation and intensive farming activities. The old settlement occupies an area of about 250x70–160 m. The discovered finds date to the iddle eolithic (4th millennium BC) and the arly Iron Age (second half of the 1st millennium BC) as well as the 4th–5th centuries and are ascribed respectively to the arva and Stroked Pottery cultures and the early period of pottery with rough surfaces. The Varakaliai old settlement (Švenčionys district) was founded on a short flattop hill, ) was founded on a short flattop hill, which was formed during the last glaciation and which has a 1.5–2 m rise, which is reminiscent of a bank, on the edge. The settlement was once surrounded on every side by valleys waterlogged by streams and by wet fields. The settlement occupies an area of about 120x110 m of arable soil with a garden and farmstead site. Sherds of hand built pots with rough surfaces (Fig. 6), fragments of charred cooking pit stones, isolated flint finds, and part of a clay cylindrical spindle (Fig. 7) were discovered on top of the soil and in the excavated test pit. On the basis of the discovered finds (early pottery with rough surfaces), the settlement can preliminarily be dated to the early iddle Iron Age (5th–6th centuries). Judging from the thickness of the cultural layer and the typological unity of the discovered finds, the settlement existed during a brief period of no more than 50–100 years. The field evaluation allows one to think that this settlement could have been fortified and so should be ascribed to the hill fort sites. It in no way differs from the settlement hill fort sites overlooking marshes and/or on lake islands.Many of these newly discovered archaeological objects were found and their territories determined using the least destructive investigations possible and with the help of information supplied by kindred sciences (paleogeographic, geomorphological, botanical, and soil tests).