Dvareliškių (Kriukų) kapinynas

LT2006 m. ištirtas 159,24 m2 plotas ir surasta 13 palaidojimų. Aukštesnëje kalvelës dalyje tirtas 140 m2 plotas. Čia kapinynas smarkiai apardytas. Kiek geriau išliko tik kapai 15, 19 ir 20. Kiti visiškai suardyti (kapai 14, 16, 18) arba gerokai apardyti (kapai 17, 25). Kai kuriose perkasose rasti tik paskiri mirusiųjų kaulų fragmentai, kurie leidžia manyti, jog čia buvo laidota (perkasa IX). Perkasoje XI rastas suaugusio mirusiojo palaidojimas, o prie jo galvûgalio prigludęs naujagimio kapelis. Tyrimų metu manyta, jog čia galbût palaidota motina ir kiek vëliau miręs jos naujagimis. Gal kiek įtarimų këlë tik suaugusio mirusiojo palaidojimo kryptis, nes pagal kryptį mirusysis turëjo bûti vyras. Atlikus antropologinius tyrimus (R. Jankauskas) (žr. p. 522) paaiškëjo, jog iš tikrųjų ðiame kape (kape 25) palaidotas 30–40 m. vyras. Vyrai šioje kapinyno dalyje laidoti galvomis į V, moterys į R. Nors kapinynas ir labai apardytas, tačiau išlikusios kapų duobës leidžia aiškiai matyti buvusias kapų eiles. Eilës sudaro puslankius, todël galima netgi numanyti, kur buvo kapinyno ,,centras“, nes visi palaidojimai tarsi orientuoti į jį, t. y. pasukti menamo centro link. Eiles skyrë apie 0,5 m tarpas. Kiek daugiau įkapių rasta kape 14 – pjautuvëlis ir yla (kapas moters) ir kape 15 – įmovinis kirvis ir platusis kovos peilis-kalavijas. Iš bent kiek galinčių padëti datuoti kapus įkapių rastas (kapas 19) bronzinis kryžinis smeigtukas išplotomis ir baltu metalu pagražintomis plokštelëmis kryžmų galuose. Tokie smeigtukai nešioti IX–XI a. [...] [p. 167].

ENDvareliškiai (Kriukai) cemetery is in Joniškis District on the E side of the KriukaiGrubinai road. The necessity arose to excavate the parcel of land near the already existing burials so that the territory of active cemetery would be separated from the protected territory. In 2006 an area 159.24 m2 in size was excavated and 13 burials were discovered. An area of 140 m2 was excavated on the higher part of the hill. Although the cemetery was badly disturbed nevertheless the surviving burial pits allow one to clearly see the former rows of burials. It was established that the males were buried in this part of the cemetery with their heads to the W and females with their heads to the E. Few grave goods were found since almost all the burials were disturbed and the central part of the grave, the individual’s chest area, suffered the worst. One trench (XII), 19.24 m2 in size, was excavated in the lower part of the hill. Four burials were discovered in this trench, including one double burial (burial 23) and one group burial (burial 24) , in which the remains of seven people were actually found. Two men oriented in a non-traditional N–S direction for this cemetery, were buried in burial 23. I think that members of that society were not buried here but perhaps ‘attackers’ of some sort since a burial, which contained seven individuals, who were clearly the victim of some violent conflict, was discovered nearby. The burial (judging from the rare cruciform pin) dates to the late 8th – early 9th century.Thus during two excavation seasons an area 309 m2 in size was excavated in Dvareliðkiai (Kriukai) cemetery, 26 burials were found, and over 50 artefacts collected. The cemetery was left by a Semigallian community, who buried individuals here in the 8th – 9th centuries. During the excavations the cemetery’s precise site was located in the territory of the currently active cemetery. It was established that an 7th – 11th century Semigallian cemetery is in the unused E part of the cemetery.