The First Lake‐dwellers of Lithuania: Late Bronze Age Pile Settlements on Lake Luokesas

Menotti, Francesco; Baubonis, Zenonas; Brazaitis, D.; Higham, Thomas; Kvedaravicius, M.; Lewis, Helen; Motuzaite, G.; Pranckėnaitė, Elena

doi:10.1111/j.1468-0092.2005.00242.x

Cited by 18 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Pottery of similar technological and stylistic traits is also known in the Lake Luokesa area not far from the Žalioji-type pottery distribution area in NE Lithuania. Two pile dwelling sites there were dated tõ 800-400 cal BC (Menotti et al 2005).…”

Section: Results and Discussion: Chronology Of Pottery Stylesmentioning

confidence: 99%

New¹⁴C Dates of Neolithic and Early Metal Period Ceramics in Lithuania

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. Twenty-three samples of charred food remains, charcoal, burned animals, and human bones from 14 Lithuanian prehistoric sites were dated by radiocarbon as part of a dating project oriented towards renewing the prehistoric ceramics chronology. The new dates modified the dating of ceramic styles by hundreds to a thousand years. Three Textile Ware sherds were dated to 4230-2920 cal BC-the oldest known dates of Textile Ware pottery in the East Baltic. The organic-tempered pointed-bottomed Narva and Combed-like Wares were dated to 3970-3370 cal BC, while Bay Coast Ware (Haffküstenkultur, Rzucewo), including vessels decorated with cord impressions, were dated to 3940-3540 cal BC, i.e. to a period well preceding the Corded Ware/Battle Axe horizon in Europe. Three dates of Globular Amphorae Ware placed the phenomenon directly beyond the Bay Coast chronology, i.e. in 3450-2920 cal BC. Chamotte-tempered Corded Ware from SE Lithuania was dated to 2840-2570 cal BC. The first absolute dating of coarse ware of the Žalioji type pointed to a period of 760-515 cal BC instead of the previously assumed 2nd millennium cal BC. Cremated human bones from urns found at Paveisininkai, Kernavě, and Naudvaris cemeteries were dated to 790-380 cal BC. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates obtained from charred food remains should be treated with a certain caution due to a possible freshwater reservoir effect that has not yet been examined in Lithuania.

show abstract

Section: Results and Discussion: Chronology Of Pottery Stylesmentioning

confidence: 99%

New¹⁴C Dates of Neolithic and Early Metal Period Ceramics in Lithuania

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The area was settled only after a hard, accessible surface was formed due to desiccation, and not over open water (suggested by Lewis 2007;Menotti et al 2005). This is indicated by the sharp transition between the dense lake marl and the organic layers.…”

Section: Cultural Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the Neolithic and Bronze Age in Central Europe and in the Baltic area even until the Iron Age, people settled on lake shores and built up agricultural and pastoral communities there. Some researchers have shown that platforms were exposed due to fluctuations of the lake water levels during periods of low levels (Magny 2004;Menotti et al 2005). The unique aspect of lakeside settlements is that a large part of the material brought into the littoral zone by peoples and their domestic animals is well-preserved (Menotti 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lake Luokesa is connected with several other small lakes through streams; it is fed from the east/south-east and drains towards the west (Fig. 2; Menotti et al 2005). The morphology of the lake (2.4 km long, 0.8 km wide, maximum depth 47.8 m), is dominated by moraine ridges that may have influenced the development of two islands on the lake.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2). They form a 15-20 cm thick coating on the moraine ridge (Motuzaite Matuzevičiūt_ e 2008; Menotti et al 2005). Today there are reed beds located in some places within this area (E. Pranck_ enait_ e personal communication).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The potential of micromorphology for interpreting sedimentation processes in wetland sites: a case study of a Late Bronze–early Iron Age lakeshore settlement at Lake Luokesa (Lithuania)

Ismail‐Meyer

2014

Veget Hist Archaeobot

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lake Luokesa lies in the eastern part of Lithuania and is part of a region of lakes formed by the Scandinavian ice-sheet and its melt waters during the last glaciation. During the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age transition, between 625 and 535 cal BC, a lakeside settlement with an onshore palisade was built on the platform of a carbonate bank. A total of five profiles, each comprising an organic occupation layer and lake sediments at its bottom and top, were examined micromorphologically. In this paper, natural and anthropogenic processes that led to the formation of the individual layers are presented; their possible origins are reconstructed and then discussed and compared to lakeside settlements of the circum-alpine region. This includes the emergence of lake marl, accumulation of organic layers in the settlement area as well as their decomposition, erosion and trampling features and inwash of sand through runoff from the hinterland. Due to the accumulation of the up to 60 cm thick culture layers in waterlogged environments, indications of seasonal deposition cycles could be identified.Keywords Site formation processes Á Seasonality Á Human impact Á Trampling Á Erosion Á Geoarchaeology Communicated by M. Latałowa.

show abstract