Title Island settlement of Lake Bėlis: New insights into Late Bronze and Pre-Roman Iron Age living spaces in eastern Lithuania /
Translation of Title Bėlio ežero salos gyvenvietė: naujos įžvalgos apie vėlyvojo bronzos ir ankstyvojo geležies amžiaus gyvenamąsias erdves Rytų Lietuvoje.
Authors Kraniauskas, Rokas ; Čičiurkaitė, Ingrida ; Pranckėnaitė, Elena
DOI 10.15181/ab.v31i0.2665
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Is Part of Archaeologia Baltica.. Klaipėda : Klaipėdos universiteto leidykla. 2024, vol. 31, p. 63-82.. ISSN 1392-5520. eISSN 2351-6534
Keywords [eng] Island settlements ; lakes ; Late Bronze Age ; Pre-Ro man Iron Age ; wooden structures ; fortifications ; piles ; eastern Lithuania
Abstract [eng] In 2021, during underwater archaeological surveys in the lake district of eastern Lithuania, a new settlement was discovered on an island in Lake Bėlis (Švenčionys district). According to 14C AMS data, it dates to the 8th–4th centuries BC. The newly discovered Lake Bėlis island settlement stands out due to its size — it is a very small area of land — and because of its well-preserved structures and functional zones. A distinctive feature of this settlement is the wooden structures — piles — found on the underwater slopes around the island, extending along its entire perimeter. Additionally, the research was conducted in an archaeological layer situated in a wetland environment rich in preserved organic material. This article discusses the research on the island of Lake Bėlis, conducted from 2021 to 2023. In recent years, research in Lithuania has produced a significant amount of original material (new sites or reanalysis of known data) from the Late Bronze Age to the Pre-Roman Iron Age. The evidence analysed in this article suggests that in this period, besides common settlement types — hillforts, unenclosed settlements and lake dwellings — there were also settlements located on natural lake islands.
Published Klaipėda : Klaipėdos universiteto leidykla
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2024
CC license CC license description