Abstract
In 2014–2015, an unknown 16th–17th-century cemetery was discovered at the Subačius Street 41 plot in Vilnius. The uncovered human remains are considered to be one of the most abundant and best-preserved anthropological material in the territory of present-day Vilnius. Paradoxically, historical sources do not mention this burial site, although the abundance of the interred individuals does not imply an accidental burial, but perhaps a functioning cemetery for some time. In such exceptional cases, the only source of information is the synthesis of archaeological and anthropological research data.This article presents preliminary results and a brief overview of bioarchaeological (demographic, paleopathological, and dental research, height reconstruction) investigation. A total of 151 individuals were studied, with almost half (45%) of them consisting of children. Almost 60% of the individuals had one or more pathological lesions. The average height of male individuals was estimated 168.2 cm, the average height of females was 157.8 cm. The aim of this study can be defined as twofold: an attempt to identify the people buried outside the city walls and systematize for the first time the bioarchaeological data of one-out-of-many Vilnius populations. Currently, the Subačius Street 41 population does not resemble a typical urban community, so the study itself is the first attempt to reveal the osteobiography of these 16th–17th century Vilnius residents.
Highlights
The history of Vilnius, the capital city of historic and current Lithuania, began in 1323
The first settlement was located on the hill and valley that was surrounded by the Neris River and its small tributary Vilnia, but later expanded to the south (Katalynas, 2006)
In the 17th century, Vilnius expanded and some churches, craftsmen’s houses, noblemen residences, and inns were located behind the defensive wall
Summary
The history of Vilnius, the capital city of historic and current Lithuania, began in 1323. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Vilnius commoners had built a defensive wall containing nine gates and an artillery bastion in order to protect themselves and the city from the attacks during the Russo-Swedish Deluge (Ragauskienė et al, 2006). In the 17th century, Vilnius expanded and some churches, craftsmen’s houses, noblemen residences, and inns were located behind the defensive wall. Important to note is the fact that traditionally, the dead were buried in the parish churchyards and the idea of a city cemetery, which would be open for everyone, was established only in the end of the 18th century (Rasos Cemetery) (Dundulienė, 1963)
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