Kernavės archeologinė vietovė – UNESCO pasaulio paveldas
LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Archeologinė vietovė; Gyvenvietės; Kernavė; Kernavė, archeologinė vietovė, kraštovaizdis, rezervatas, UNESCO pasaulio paveldas; Paveldo paminklas; Piliakalniai; UNESCO; Viduriniai amžiai; Archaeological site; Hill forts; Kernave, archaeological site, landscape, reserve, UNESCO World heritage; Kernavė; Middle Ages; Settlements; UNESCO; World Heritage.
ENKernavė is an area of unique archaeological and historical value. Consistent archaeological investigations started in the area almost 30 years ago. The results of scientific investigations allowed to disclose the main pre- historical and early historical stages of this unique archaeological site, extended our knowledge about one of the most significant processes in the history of Lithuania and Europe - the transformation of a pagan community into a Christian one. The traces of the first settlers (hunters of the Late Paleolithic), such as flint arrowheads of the Swiderian culture discovered in the Pajauta Valley, are dated back to 9000 BC. The warmer climate and the convenient place for habitation determined that from 8th millennium BC people did not leave the Pajauta Valley. Here survived the heritage of the first Eastern Baltic Brushed Pottery Culture, which emerged in the last quarter of the 2nd millennium BC - settlements and the first widely explored burial ground of this culture in the territory of Lithuania. From the first centuries AD, also called "golden age" of Baltic cultures, the first defensive fortifications were built on the hill forts. The development of Kemav ė accelerated at the middle of the first millennium AD, and by the 13th century it had become one of the leading towns of Lithuania. In written sources Kemavė was first mentioned in 1279 in the rhymed Livonian Chronicle and Herman Wartberge’s Chronicle as a land of Grand Duke Traidenis (1269-1282).Aukuras hill fort and the defensive fortifications on the hill forts. After the attack of Teutonic Order in 1390, wooden castles and old Kernavė town were burnt down. In 2004 the State Culture Reserve of Kernavė was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thus recognising the importance of the area according to two value criteria for UNESCO heritage sites: as a site which presents an exceptional testimony to the evolution of human settlements in the Baltic region in Europe over the period of some 10 millennia. The site has exceptional evidence of the contact of Pagan and Christian funeral traditions; as an object with settlement patterns and the impressive hill forts representing outstanding examples of the development of such types of structures and the history of their use in the pre-Christian era. The State Cultural Reserve of Kernavė is comprised of: 1. the territory of reserve (194,4 hectares) with cultural heritage objects (valuables) and an open-air exposition; 2. the Archaeological and Historical Museum with collection of artifacts and exposition. The State Cultural Reserve of Kernavė was established in order to protect territorial complex of cultural heritage objects, and also to investigate, supervise, exploit and maintain the originality of the site. These aims are actualized by the Administration of the State Cultural Reserve of Kernavė. [From the publication]
