Viduramžių mūšių vietų Lietuvos teritorijoje archeologinis aspektas

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Aecheologija; Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštija, XIII–XV a.; 13 amžius; 14 amžius; 15 amžius; Metalo detektorius; Mūšiai; Pabaisko mūšis, 1435 m.; Saulės (Šiaulių) mūšis, 1236 m.; Viduramžių mūšio vietos archeologija; Archaeology; Battle of Pabaiskas, 1435; Battle of Saulė (Šiauliai), 1236; Battles; Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 13th – 15th century; Lithuanian XIII-XV c. history; Medieval battlefield archaeology; Metal detector.

ENBattle research remains a historian prerogative to this day. Relying mostly on written sources they try to reveal various aspects, ranging from circumstances that caused the battle to its outcome. Battles, as a very fast process, lasting not even days, but hours, could not leave any larger trace in the land. Battlefields feature very few artefacts of material culture, usually small pieces of weaponry, armour or clothes. During the last decade Europe has made several achievements in battlefield archaeology with English and German researchers in the lead. Meanwhile Lithuania has known very little about battlefield archaeology to this day. However, based on namely English and German methodology, Lithuanians are also trying to research the battlefields in Lithuania. Quite a few battles, famous in Lithuanian history, took place outside the present-day territory of Lithuania. And if it wasn't for the wars with the Teutonic Order, which took place in the Lithuanian territory almost throughout the entire medieval period, perhaps we wouldn't have any battlefields to research. Up until the early 16th c. there were 5 battles that took place in the present-day territory of the Republic of Lithuania and that were not identified as small clashes or castle sieges. These battles were named according to their locations, thus making it possible to try to localise them.These are the Battle of the Sun (1236), the Battle of Skuodas (1258), the Battle of Medininkai (1320), the Battle of Strėva (1348) and the Battle of Pabaiskas (1435). Archaeological research on the predicted locations of the Battles of Saulė and Pabaiskas allow drawing certain conclusions in further development of battlefield archaeological research. In case of the Battle of Pabaiskas nothing was found, because the research method was wrong. In case of Jauniūnai archaeologists were looking for any trace of the battle on the wrong location. In both cases researchers used the work of earlier historiography without checking the available data on the location of the battle. In order to achieve successful results in locating medieval battlefields, we first of all need reliable primary data (written references, individual archaeological finds), indicating even if preliminary, but a specific territory. The research without such data will be fruitless, because it is impossible to find something, which is not there. [From the publication]

• Archeologija / Archaeology
• Istorija / History