Eastern Lithuania Research Articles

New insights into the subsistence economy of the Late Bronze Age (1100–400 cal BC) communities in the southeastern Baltic

This paper presents the findings of a research project aimed at reconstructing the subsistence economy of the Late Bronze Age communities in eastern Lithuania. We focused on examining archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological assemblages from three hillforts alongside δ13C and δ15N stable isotope analysis of plant and animal remains. Our results suggest that local populations primarily relied on growing domestic plants and animals for their subsistence. By the Late Bronze Age, they had already adopted a diverse package of cultivated plants, with barley and millet being the main crops. Also, inhabitants relied on pig and goat/sheep as a primary source for their protein intake. Finally, δ13C and δ15N measurements suggest that farmers engaged in intensive agriculture with semi-permanent field systems and moderate application of manure.

Clinical and epidemiological features of Lyme neuroborreliosis in adults and factors associated with polyradiculitis, facial palsy and encephalitis or myelitis

The clinical course of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is highly variable. Delayed diagnosis and treatment still remain actual challenges. Moreover, there is a lack of studies analyzing the factors associated with different LNB syndromes. We aimed to analyze clinical and epidemiological features of LNB in hospitalized adults in eastern Lithuania. A retrospective study was performed for patients presenting in the years 2010–2021. A total of 103 patients were included in the study, 100 with early, and three with late LNB. Patients with early LNB most often presented polyradiculitis [75/100, (75%)], which was also the most common initial neurological syndrome. Peripheral facial palsy was diagnosed in 53/100 (53%) patients, in 16/53 (30.2%) cases both facial nerves were affected. Encephalitis or myelitis was diagnosed in 14% of patients with LNB. A total of 76/103 (73.8%) patients were discharged with residual symptoms or signs. One patient presenting encephalomyelitis died because of bacterial complications. The absence of observed erythema migrans (EM) was the predictor of peripheral facial palsy, while female sex and EM untreated with antibiotics were predictors of isolated polyradiculitis. A fever of ≥ 38 ° °C and pleocytosis of ≥ 300 × 106/l were associated with the development of encephalitis or myelitis in patients with early LNB.

Garnys: An underwater riverine site with delayed Neolithisation in the southeastern Baltic

This paper presents the first results of both dryland and underwater investigations at the multi-period Garnys riverine site situated on the Žeimena River in eastern Lithuania. There, during 2017–2020 a professional diver and amateur archaeologist collected hundreds of Mesolithic-Neolithic archaeological finds made of wood, bone, antler, stone, and ceramic from the riverbed and on its bank. Moreover, in eroded places of the riverbed, the wooden remains of several fish weirs were observed. In 2021 professional archaeologists continued the research, including field investigations followed by various laboratory analyses. These included AMS 14C dating of 16 various ecofacts, artefacts and wooden constructions, wood and animal taxa determinations, and the results of traceological analysis of the flint and osseous artefacts. Our research demonstrates that the site was intensively used for hunting, gathering and fishing during the Mesolithic and subsequent Subneolithic and Neolithic. Intriguingly, there was no evidence for agriculture, while the numerous Neolithic ceramics largely follow the Subneolithic traditions. The Garnys site is therefore unique and a clear example for delayed Neolithisation in a forested and lacustrine area in the eastern Baltic region. During the Metal Ages, the site had been used exclusively for stationary fishing.

MESOCLIMATIC ANALYSIS OF NON-PRECIPITATION PERIODS IN LITHUANIA

In this paper, climatic analysis of non-precipitation periods (NPP) in Lithuania was performed, assessing their recurrence and trends from 1991 to 2020 using two criteria – when precipitation was <0.1 mm per day all year round and when precipitation was <1 mm per day during the warm period – and analysing typical atmospheric circulation in the middle troposphere and sea level during the longest NPP (≥20 days). From 1990 to 2020, NPP were most frequent in the Middle Lithuania lowland (according to both criteria), in Southern and South-western Lithuania (daily precipitation <0.1 mm) and in part of Eastern Lithuania (daily precipitation <1 mm), and least frequent in part of the Samogitian highland and in part of the Baltic Highlands (according to both criteria). NPP recurred most often in the spring months, as this is associated with a higher number of days with anticyclonic circulation and powerful anticyclones recorded. Based on the growth trend of NPP of various durations in Lithuania from 1990 to 2020, in the last decade NPP have become more frequent, but only a few stations have shown reliable trends. Analysis of the atmospheric circulation during the longest NPP (≥20 days) showed that NPP were mostly determined by the Azores anticyclone ridge or anticyclone over Northern, Central or Eastern Europe regardless of the time of year. The atmospheric circulation conditions for the formation of long NPP varied more in the cold period than in the warm period, but NPP often lasted ≥20 days only at one or a few stations.

Prehistoric Iron Bloomery Debris on a Small Island in Lake Aisetas (Eastern Lithuania)

Abstract The archaeological discoveries of metallurgical waste in Lithuania have established that metallurgical activities were commonly connected to settlements. However, recent investigations suggest that even in the case of small-scale production on a homestead industry level, small isolated smelting bloomeries could have existed outside settlements. The work presented in this article introduces the material acquired from the newly discovered prehistoric site on a small island in Lake Aisetas in Eastern Lithuania. The data was acquired through surface and soil sampling surveys, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and small-scale excavations. Metallurgical waste weighing 150 kg was collected without additional evidence to facilitate archaeological interpretation of the finds and their origins. This article aims to characterise the metallurgical waste and deduce the nature of the activity and processes that produced these by-products on the island. Through an exploration of recovery circumstances and a macroscopic examination as well as composition and microstructure analysis of the metallurgical waste, this study intends to answer the following questions: what constitutes the metallurgical waste found on the island; what conclusions can be drawn regarding the ironworking techniques, production scope, and chronology; and how favourable was the studied area for early iron production?

Seasonal and Site-Specific Patterns of Airborne Fungal Diversity Revealed Using Passive Spore Traps and High-Throughput DNA Sequencing

The aim of the present work was to study seasonal and site-specific patterns of airborne fungal diversity, focusing on plant pathogens. The sampling of fungal spores was carried out for twelve months, i.e., between September 2017 and August 2018, using passive spore traps that were placed at three different sites in western (Lenkimai), central (Dubrava), and eastern (Labanoras) Lithuania. Samples were collected every 7–10 days, resulting in 146 samples altogether. Following DNA isolation, samples were individually amplified using ITS2 rRNA as a marker and subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Clustering and taxonomic classification of 283,006 high-quality reads showed the presence of 805 non-singleton fungal taxa. The detected fungi were 53.4% Ascomycota, 46.5% Basidiomycota, and 0.1% Mucoromycota. The most common fungal taxon at Labanoras and Lenkimai was Hannaella coprosmae (23.2% and 24.3% of all high-quality fungal sequences, respectively), while at Dubrava it was Cladosporium macrocarpum (16.0%). In different sites, plant pathogenic fungi constituted between 1.6% and 14.6% of all fungal taxa and among these the most common were Protomyces inouyei (4.6%) and Sydowia polyspora (1.9%). The results demonstrated that the diversity of airborne fungi was mainly determined by the surrounding vegetation and climatic factors, while the occurrence of pathogenic fungi was affected by the availability of their hosts.

Mirusiųjų deginimo papročio plitimas rytų Lietuvoje: naujas chronologinis modelis, paremtas radiokarboninio datavimo duomenimis

The article discusses the model of the spread of cremation in the East Lithuanian barrow culture based on the data of radiocarbon dating. It proposes a review of the model established in literature that a wave of cremation spread from the south of the region to the north between the late 4th century AD and of the early 6th century AD. The stage of the earliest cremations can be dated to 248–335 cal AD, and the stage of the latest inhumations to 420–556 cal AD. This suggests that both inhumation and cremation were practised in Eastern Lithuania for about two centuries from the Late Roman period to the Late Migration period. The hypothesis that the practice of cremation spread from south to north is being corrected rather than refuted. While this process was quite sudden, it was due to the spread of a new tradition alongside the old rather than a wave of change regarding burial rites. Cremation spread early (c. 250–400 cal AD) in the northern part of the region and was an established practice alongside inhumation. The practice of cremation probably became prevalent earlier in Southeastern Lithuania. These processes are synchronous with the emergence of the horizon of the burials of chieftains and warriors in Eastern Lithuania, but the determination of an earlier date for this horizon provides grounds for new discussions about its historical, cultural, and social background.

Towards a better understanding of the economy and culture of the Late Bronze Age in the southeastern Baltic: Tarbiškės settlements

In 2020, rescue excavations due to construction of a pipeline connecting Poland and Lithuania took place at the Bronze Age sites Tarbiškės 1 and Tarbiškės 2, eastern Lithuania, both dated to 1050–900 cal BC. They revealed a rather homogeneous archaeological assemblage which fills a gap in the development of the Bronze Age culture and economy in the southeastern Baltic. Tarbiškės Ware, from a typological as well as chronological point of view, stands in an intermediate position linking Trzciniec culture pottery with Žalioji and Early Striated Wares. Macrobotanical analysis of charred plant remains revealed that Bronze Age people at Tarbiškės cultivated Panicum miliaceum, Hordeum vulgare and Triticum sp. The Tarbiškės sites demonstrate that early farmers used to settle areas at higher elevations with sandy soils, further from large bodies of water. They used flint and other stone tools widely and lacked bronze. Tarbiškės is the first and only ancient settlement discovered in Lithuania with a workshop for on-site manufacturing of polished stone axes with drilled holes.

Hidden landscapes of the Earliest Iron Age: Excavations at Kakliniškės 7 reveal an overlooked settlement phase in southern Lithuania

The article presents the data from Kakliniškės 7 settlement site, discovered and excavated in 2020 during the construction of the gas pipeline. The rich and representative collection of pottery and archaeobotanical material gathered in the site have provided valuable data on the hitherto unknown 4th century BC in Lithuania. Pottery such as that found at Kakliniškės 7 has not previously been identified, and is therefore referred to here as Kakliniškės Ware. These are pots with slightly curved walls, rounded shoulders and vertical rims, featuring a striated surface topped with an additional coarse layer. The defined attributes of this new type of pottery have allowed the identification of the same ware in other settlement and burial sites in southeastern Lithuania and the Trans-Nemunas region. All of these settlement sites share some common features; most likely they are the sites of short-lived farmsteads belonging to highly dispersed settlements. Such data allow us to hypothesise a hitherto unidentified cultural group that briefly spread in southern Lithuania in the 4th century BC. This challenges the prevailing model of a static cultural development and a homogeneous material culture in the 1st millennium BC in all of eastern Lithuania. Our data show that the cultural situation here was much more dynamic than previously thought.

Old Rituals in New Cultural Environment. “Drowning of a Midwife” and “Hanging of a Matchmaker” in Lithuania and Western Belarus

In the analysis of baptism rituals in eastern Lithuania and western Belarus, I have repeatedly drawn attention to the similarity in the structure of individual traditional wedding and baptism rites and even the transition of some ritual acts from one ritual to another. The similarities noticed in the ritual acts performed at baptisms and weddings in the first half of the twentieth century have led to a more detailed analysis of these life-cycle celebrations in the twenty-first century. In this article, I examined the peculiarities of the ceremonial/symbolic killing (or attempted killing) of a midwife and a matchmaker. Analysing both rituals I revealed the differences between the traditional ceremonial killing of a midwife and the ‘hanging’ of a matchmaker; uncover and compare modifications of these rites in modern society. I showed that, with the loss of their former ritual value and the absence of matchmakers and midwives in real life, the ritual practice of symbolic drowning or hanging has remained. This indicates a desire to preserve the old customs and, with modifications, practice them in today’s baptism and wedding ceremonies as the final part of the ritual. On the other hand, a thorough analysis of the ceremonial acts has shown that both the symbolic hanging of a matchmaker and, in particular, the drowning of a midwife (bobutė) are late cultural phenomena, dating back only one or several hundred years in the areas studied.

New Insight into Genetic Structure and Diversity of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Populations in Lithuania Based on Nuclear, Chloroplast and Mitochondrial DNA Markers

We studied the genetic differentiation, structure, and diversity of Scots pine populations in Lithuania based on nuclear, chloroplast microsatellite, and mitochondrial DNA markers. We focused on revealing evolutionary history, country-wide geneflow patterns, and structuring among the Scots pine populations. We genotyped 439 Scots pine individuals of mature age from 23 natural Scots pine stands in Lithuania and used the AMOVA and a set of genetic-clustering methods. The among-population differentiation was weak for nuclear microsatellite loci (nSSRs) (FST = 0.005) but much stronger for cpSSRs (PhiST = 0.240). The populations were structured into highland and lowland populations based on cpSSRs and eastern highland versus the rest for nSSRs. We detected two mtDNA mitotypes—the universal type A and northeastern type B, and the latter occurred at a markedly higher frequency in eastern Lithuania. Within-population genetic diversity was higher in large pine-dominated forest tracts in the eastern highlands than in fragmented forests in the western highlands. We concluded that phenology-based genetic networks following the temperature climate gradients have a strong effect on shaping the genetic structure of otherwise rather homogeneous gene pools of Scots pine populations in Lithuania. The possible effects of human interference with forests on genetic diversity of Scots pine populations in Lithuania are discussed.

High Prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation in a Lithuanian Stroke Patient Cohort.

Background and Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with a five-fold increased risk for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We aimed to estimate the prevalence of AF in a Lithuanian cohort of stroke patients, and its impact on patients regarding case fatality, functional outcome, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 90 days. Materials and Methods: A single-center prospective study was carried out for four non-consecutive months between December 2018 and July 2019 in one of the two comprehensive stroke centers in Eastern Lithuania. A telephone-based follow-up was conveyed at 90 days using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and EuroQoL five-dimensional three-level descriptive system (EQ-5D-3L) with a self-rated visual analog scale (EQ-VAS). One-year case fatality was investigated. Results: We included 238 AIS patients with a mean age of 71.4 ± 11.9 years of whom 45.0% were female. A striking 97 (40.8%) AIS patients had a concomitant AF, in 68 (70.1%) of whom the AF was pre-existing. The AIS patients with AF were at a significantly higher risk for a large vessel occlusion (LVO; odds ratio 2.72 [95% CI 1.38–5.49], p = 0.004), and had a more severe neurological impairment at presentation (median NIHSS score (interquartile range): 9 (6–16) vs. 6 (3–9), p < 0.001). The LVO status was only detected in those who had received computed tomography angiography. Fifty-five (80.9%) patients with pre-existing AF received insufficient anticoagulation at stroke onset. All patients received a 12-lead ECG, however, in-hospital 24-h Holter monitoring was only performed in 3.4% of AIS patients without pre-existing AF. Although multivariate analyses found no statistically significant difference in one-year stroke patient survival and favorable functional status (mRS 0–2) at 90 days, when adjusted for age, gender, reperfusion treatment, baseline functional status, and baseline NIHSS, stroke patients with AF had a significantly poorer self-perceived HRQoL, indicated by a lower EQ-VAS score (regression coefficient ± standard error: β = −11.776 ± 4.850, p = 0.017). Conclusions: In our single-center prospective observational study in Lithuania, we found that 40.8% of AIS patients had a concomitant AF, were at a higher risk for an LVO, and had a significantly poorer self-perceived HRQoL at 90 days. Despite the high AF prevalence, diagnostic tools for subclinical AF were greatly underutilized.

Centennial Scots pine chronologies for western, central and eastern Lithuania

Although two centennial Scots pine chronologies for the dating of timber in Lithuania were constructed in the 2000 s, the Baltic countries still lack a network of regional chronologies. To fill this gap, we constructed three Scots pine chronologies for western, central and eastern Lithuania. Here we present chronologies covering the fifteen to the twentieth centuries. Our analysis revealed a strong teleconnection of the compiled chronologies with Scots pine chronologies constructed in Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and Belarus. The established link with Belarus chronologies and the fact that some of the timber in Lithuanian buildings could be of Belarus origin is important in the long-distance timber trade during the last 500 years. Dendroclimatological analysis has shown that constructed tree-ring chronologies are sensitive to air temperatures in February and March. Therefore, the constructed chronologies have a potential for climate reconstructions and dendroprovenancing.

Stable carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Silurian in the Jočionys-299 borehole (eastern Lithuania)

Stable carbon isotope stratigraphy of the Silurian in the Jočionys-299 borehole (eastern Lithuania)

Eastern Lithuania of 11th-13th centuries: the problem of ethno-cultural and socio-cultural characteristics of early-urban type settlements

Eastern Lithuania of 11th-13th centuries: the problem of ethno-cultural and socio-cultural characteristics of early-urban type settlements

Differences in the concept of wellness and its materialisation in service offering: a multiple case study from Eastern Finland, Russian Karelia, and Lithuania

ABSTRACT This paper examines the conceptions of wellness tourism among wellness enterprises, investigating how wellness tourism is materialised in their service offering. This multiple case study encompasses Eastern Finland, Russian Karelia, and Lithuania. First, the study indicates the main differences in the concept of wellness, proposing that regulation, history, traditions, and natural resources can impact the understanding of wellness. Second, the findings show that spas play a central role in wellness tourism, being used to offer added value and marketing strategies. Third, it discusses the merging of the line between purely wellness or medically oriented institutions. The study concludes with suggestions for businesses to focus on the unique destination-specific elements that can increase competitiveness and to take different customer segments into account when planning facilities and designing marketing strategies.

Uncertainty of atmospheric correction algorithms for chlorophyll α concentration retrieval in lakes from Sentinel-2 data

One of the largest uncertainties in remote sensing data comes from atmospheric influence. This research aims to explain the uncertainties emanating from atmospheric correction (AC) product selection and how they influence chlorophyll α concentration retrieval in lakes in eastern Lithuania. We tested seven products from six AC processors (Acolite, Acolite Rayleigh, iCOR, Sen2Cor, C2RCC, C2X, and POLYMER) and 10 chlorophyll α retrieval algorithms with different architectures. The uncertainty of AC products transferred to chlorophyll α concentrations, and large differences in the chlorophyll α concentrations retrieved using different AC products were observed. The match-up analysis showed that chlorophyll α algorithms based on band difference performed best in terms of a high coefficient of determination and the lowest median bias when used with image-based, Sen2Cor, and TOA data. The results of this study highlight the uncertainties of AC products as well as how the selection of the chlorophyll α retrieval algorithm can mitigate the influence of AC selection.

Shallow and ploughed settlement sites in forested environment: Opportunities to multilevel prospection (an example of a prehistoric site in eastern Lithuania)

AbstractThis article presents the results of geochemical survey performed at one of the shallow and ploughed prehistoric settlement sites in eastern Lithuania. The goal of the survey was to delineate the territory of the prehistoric settlement based on a multilevel survey, and geochemical patterns were analysed relative to the stratigraphy of the site. This research explores how particular aspects of the built environment might be visible in layer‐specific data sets produced by soil coring and a range of different geochemical analyses and how the results from different levels correspond to each other and relate to test excavation results. The study also has value in adding to the discussion of the geochemical properties that could be indicative of prehistoric human activity in Lithuanian sites and how they contribute to understandings of the site's overall size and structural arrangement. The results have demonstrated the lack of consistent correspondence between layer‐specific geochemical data sets and calls into question the validity of single‐level surveys for ploughed sites. Distinct anthropogenic sediments do not always reproduce the expected elevation of the allegedly anthropogenic geochemical markers. A thick cultural layer could represent the traces of post‐deposition in secondary zones rather than primary occupied parts of the settlement. Conversely, the number of geochemical properties indicative of human occupation may survive in their original position in different strata even if the cultural layer is very fragmentary or not preserved.

Future projection for forest management suggests a decrease in the availability of nesting habitats for a mature-forest-nesting raptor

The demand for timber, bioenergy feedstock and other forest products, leading to intensified forest harvesting, is expected to increase in the coming decades in European Union. A reduction in the delivery of forest ecosystem services and, specifically, biodiversity, including the provision of habitats for mature-forest-dwelling raptors, has been attributed to the intensification of forest exploitation. Therefore, in order to adopt adequate conservation measures to create a timely buffer against the consequences of increased harvesting, it is critically important to understand how the availability of nesting habitats for protected species will fluctuate in the future landscape.In this study, using the LandSim tool, we modelled the dynamics of the forests and nesting habitat availability for the forest-nesting raptor, the lesser spotted eagle Clanga pomarina, for the next 50 years in eastern Lithuania, Central Europe. Our findings indicate that the share of forests available for final harvesting is expected to increase rapidly in the coming decades due to a large amount of forest stands reaching a mature age, if current forest management practices, despite them being considered as relatively conservative, are continued. As a consequence, the availability of nesting habitats will constantly decrease in nesting territories, as well as elsewhere in the landscape, in the coming decades. We suggest that species conservation strategies should not only incorporate directly targeted measures to protect nest sites from destruction and disturbance, but also, at the very least, preserve a sufficient amount of nesting habitats in areas inhabited by eagle pairs and, at best, at the landscape scale.

Нашивные украшения — украшения «среднего класса» древнерусского времени?

The article is devoted to one of the types of medieval women’s headdress. The details of this type of headdress — sewed silver plagues, were found in excavations of archaeological monuments of the 13th — the end of the 14th centuries. Plaques with floral and/or geometric ornaments were made of thin silver sheet by embossing. Sometimes they have been decorated with glass inserts of different colors. The front side was covered with gold. The matrices for them have been found only in certain cities — large craft centers of Old Russia (Chernigov, Ryazan, ets.). Headdress decorated with such type of plagues was popular on the territory of the entire Old Russian state. Lost plagues have been excavated in cultural layers of many Russian cities. Complete headgears were discovered in the graves in the North-Western and Western regions and in the hoards related to the Tatar campaigns. Similar headdresses were found in burials of the zone of influence of Russian culture (Karelia) and around the Western border of the Old Russian state (Eastern Lithuania, north-eastern Poland, and Moldova). In eastern Lithuania, this type of female headgears continued to exist throughout the 15th century.