Gintaro įkapių bruožai baltiškuose laidojimo paminkluose vėlyvuoju romėniškuoju laikotarpiu
LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Baltai; Baltai, geležies amžius, kapinynų archeologija, įkapės, gintaras; Bronzos amžius; Gintaro įkapės; Laidojimo paminklai; Vėlyvasis romėniškasis laikotarpis; Amber Grave Goods; Baltic Burial Sites; Balts; Bronze Age; Late Roman Period; The Balts, Iron Age, burial archaeology, grave goods, amber.
ENIn studies of Baltic region’s Bronze Age communities amber artefacts are very rarely mentioned, in contrast to the regions of Central and Southern Europe. This trend continues to the burial sites of the early Iron Age (the 1st century – start of the 2nd century AD). However, amount of amber grave goods in Baltic burial sites increases from the middle of the 2nd century and during the 3rd century AD, during transition from the early to the late Roman period. These changes are observed not only in the grave fields of Western Lithuanian culture, but also in other Baltic culture groups, such as Central Lithuanian, Lower Nemunas, Dollkeim-Kovrovo, and Sudavian culture groups. Article presents peculiarities of amber wearing during the late Roman period (2nd to 4th centuries AD), as well as how they were combined with other material and purpose items, especially ones which defined deceased’s status in the community. Study refers to archaeological material of West Lithuanian grave sites (Mazkatuži, Lazdininkai, Kurmaičiai, Baitai, Žviliai) and findings from neighbouring Baltic Lower Nemunas (Dauglaukis grave site), Central Lithuanian (Marvelė grave site), Dollkeim-Kovrovo (Dollkeim-Kovrovo grave site), and Sudavian (Netta grave site) burial cultures. According to M. Tempelmann-Mączynska, who researched entirety of Western Baltic cultures, influence of the imported articles from Roman provinces or other in most cases neighbouring cultural groups can be seen in most local decorative items.Similar conclusion can be reached while analysing amber items in Baltic grave sites during the Late Roman period. As for archaeological material found in burials of men and women, it can be stated that at that time there were a lot of contacts between communities, exchange of various things and ideas can be observed. Similar amber manufacture and wearing traditions during the Late Roman period united Baltic communities analysed in article. Amber items reflect features of local tradition expression and indicate linkages with neighbouring or even quite distant cultures. The most common among grave goods of that period are amber necklaces of various forms. Classic and less traditional amber pendants of geometric shapes are not as frequent. Amber spindles are very rare during this period. However, amber items are found only in some graves of community members, usually of the richest ones. Amber necklaces, isolated amber beards or amber pendants found in graves of Baltic communities probably “performed” various functions: decorative, status, mythological/religious (including prevention from illnesses). [From the publication]
