We represent the results of archaeological works by using the drilling method. Such works were carried out in the Medzhybizh and Bar castles, as well as in Palaeolithic field explorations. Our drilling research in castles focused on the inspection of courtyards and fortification of castles. Drilling made it possible to see the thickness of cultural layers up to 8 meters of thick. Based on the obtained data, reconstructions of the daytime surface of castle courtyards and the sequence of changes in their relief were carried out. Drilling during the search for Palaeolithic sites was carried out on turfed areas and different soil types. The high efficiency of exploratory drilling operations has been determined. The equipment was adapted, and the optimal drilling technique worked out during archaeological explorations.

When the German Town (a settlement of Catholic merchants and craftsmen) began to emerge in the western part of the present Old Town of Vilnius in the last decades of the 14th century, the Catholic community relocated to this area. St Nicholas Church was built here before 1387 and it was the first Catholic church in the Old Town, around which the German City was established. However, in addition to this house of worship, there was another in the Catholic part of the city – the Franciscan Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Maria and a monastery.This monastery is considered to be the oldest one in Vilnius, however, the exact time of its construction, as well as that of the church, has not been determined. Due to the lack of historical sources and precise dates, the construction has been dated by different researchers from the first half of the 14th century to the beginning of the 15th century, i.e., with an error of 100 years. Archaeological investigations in the vicinity of the church and the monastery, which have been carried out since 1993, have provided some new hypotheses concerning the chronology and the earliest nature of human activity in this territory. The most recent excavations took place here in 2023, providing new insights into the development of the area through the discovery of objects and interdisciplinary research (radiocarbon dating, analysis of archaeobotanical remains, architectural research). This paper discusses the chronology and nature of the earliest development of the Franciscan church and monastery area, based on the available historical sources, archaeological and architectural research, including the results of most recent investigations.

In 1989 Daiva Misiukaitė (Daiva Luchtanienė) conducted exploratory archaeological research in the Vilnius Kalnų (Hill) park – teritory in which, it is believed, one of the main medieval castles of Vilnius – the Crooked Castle was located. Graves were discovered in three places: in the northwestern part of the Dainų Valley, near the current parking lot, on the The Hill of Gediminas’ Grave and in the southern part of Altana hill. In the latter place, archaeological research was carried out again in 2021. In the first two burial sites, no finds allowing dating of the graves were found - the chronology remained unclear. In the third place, finds were found in only three graves - the graves were tentatively dated to the 17th century and associated with the events of the 1655-1661 when Vilnius was occupied for the first time by Russian army. In 1989 anthropological examination of the discovered graves was not carried out, but all osteological material was kept at the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University until now. It was decided to conduct these studies in 2021. 14C dating of samples taken from 14 graves was also carried out. The purpose of this article is to clarify the chronology of graves by using statistical modeling, to assess the general archaeological and historical context, to publish the results of anthropological research and laboratory dating.

The article discusses the changing trends in archaeological heritage conservation – from expertise-based heritage protection to the ‘democratisation of heritage’. This process is well represented by the Amersfoort Agenda, adopted by The Europae Archaeologiae Consilium (EAC) in 2014, which seeks to integrate the principles of the Faro Convention into the practice of archaeological heritage protection developed by the Valletta Convention. More generalised heritage conservation processes and changes in public administration policies that promote participatory (interactive) governance also contribute to a stronger role for society in decision-making. It is in this aspect – the relationship between archaeology and society – that the paper presents the contemporary trends in archaeological heritage conservation, as well as insights into the local communities’ attitudes towards archaeological heritage in Lithuania.

We present the results of recent geophysical and archaeological investigations conducted in Medzhybizh castle located in the Western Ukraine. Architectural and restoration studies that lasted more than 50 years revealed a part of the castle built during the Lithuanian period, in the 14th-15th centuries. Our study is focused on ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys on the courtyards of the castle including the Lithuanian part, and inside the buildings. The GPR survey was capable of seeing elements of the ancient architecture under a horizon of debris and soil up to 3 m thick. Possible structures of Lithuanian castle were suggested and confirmed by recent archaeological excavations. These are fragments of the Western Wall, stone construction stretching along the façade of the Southern Building, fundament ditch of the inner wall in the Southern Building.

The prehistoric chocolate flint mine in the Udorka Valley (site 24 in Poręba Dzierżna, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland) has been under excavation since 2018. It is the first mine of this raw material discovered outside the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. The currently available dating indicates that the mine was used in the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.Spatial analysis of artifacts from the fill of the mine shaft allowed for the reconstruction of individual phases of its formation. It also questioned the issue of homogeneity of the assemblage of artifacts from this mining facility and from the overlying layers. Although they are of the workshop type, their simultaneity should be doubted. In order to establish the chronological and cultural framework of flint production in the mining field, it seems necessary to determine the original location of the workshop, which was destroyed and washed out as a result of some kind of runoff. This flow created the sediment that now lies above the shafts, and which is extremely rich in flint artifacts.

This paper presents a study analysing the mobility and possible immigration of humans and horses in Lithuania in the Late Roman Period – Migration Period (3rd–7th centuries AD), based on 87Sr/86Sr stable isotopes analysis. During the study, we carried out strontium analysis of 40 human teeth from 11 burial sites and 13 horses from six burial sites. In addition, to reconstruct bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr ranges, we analysed 87Sr/86Sr of 41 animals from 15 prehistoric and historic sites. A human sample was collected to evaluate the presumed immigration directions and mobility of both sexes, different social groups, and in different regions of Lithuania. Stable isotope analysis, radiocarbon dating, biometric measurements, and other studies have provided new insights into the origins, mobility, and other aspects of lifestyle and horse breeding in the mid-1st millennium AD, and have also drawn prospects for future research on these topics.

The article presents the collection of skulls, which was previously believed to be lost, amassed by the renowned Lithuanian physician, anatomist, and anthropologist Jurgis Žilinskas (1885-1957) between the two World Wars. The latter currently comprises 361 skulls, representing 30.4% of the former anthropological collection. The most significant discovery within this collection is the presence of three dated skulls from the Early Mesolithic period. The article presents historical, archaeological, and anthropological information on the surviving portion of J. Žilinskas’ anthropological collection, a catalog of registered skulls, and the most recent AMS 14C dates. It also includes theoretical considerations regarding the fate of the missing skulls, suggestions for further research on some important archaeological objects, and potential avenues for further research.

This paper proposes that early Baltic computational practices emerged in action, through gesticulation with clay figurines of various shapes and sizes, and were possibly influenced by the Near Eastern token traditions. To substantiate this hypothesis, the phenomenon of counting in action is examined through considerations of ontological grounds and analysis of relevant archaeological evidence. This reveals that a hylomorphic ontology poses challenges to understanding the phenomenon of counting, as it requires reducing counting to an immanent faculty arising within intelligence. In contrast to this reduction, a relationalistic ontology is suggested, proposing that, despite limitations or contradictions imposed by the participants in the relationship, counting emerges in action through technical gesticulations with things. Building on this relationalistic perspective, the computational nature of Baltic clay figurines is inferred from analogies with Near Eastern material counting tokens, resulting in a typology that includes biconoids, concaves, discs, miniature vessels, spheres, tools, and miscellaneous items. This inference is supported by the important case of biconoid figurines from the Nevieriškės fortified settlement, which serve as direct evidence of their potential computational nature. Additionally, if Baltic clay figurines were indeed used as counting tools influenced by Near Eastern token traditions, this supports the claim that Near Eastern computational prototechnologies could have spread beyond their geographical origins.

Remnants of what was believed to be a single baby crocodile, originating from ancient Egypt and curated in the National Museum of Lithuania, have been recently assessed using noninvasive and nondestructive techniques. These had been donated in 1862 to the then Museum of Antiquities by the prominent Polish-Lithuanian collector Count Michał Tyszkiewicz. After careful investigation of the three mummified reptile fragments available, the authors were able to identify at least two individuals based on morpho-anatomical characteristics. This indicates that the two small crocodiles originally described in historic records are still present within the collection and that none of these items was lost during the different lootings perpetrated throughout the museum’s history. Information regarding the post-mortem treatment of these animals was also obtained. This is the first scientific study of animal mummies in the Baltic States, and it should be followed by proper conservation and display of these findings.