Neolithic Men and environment in Šventoji area, West Lithuania
by
Stancikaite, Migle
Institute of Geology and Geography, Ševcenkos 13, LT-2600, Vilnius, LITHUANIA

Introduction Already at the end of the 19th century the first archaeological stray finds from Šventoji, situated on the Lithuania coast, have been discovered. Area is rich in archaeological finds representing Neolithic Narva and Pamariu (Bay Coast) cultures. Excavations organized by Dr. R. Rimantiene were carried out during the years 1966-1972 and 1982-1995. Archaeological survey was accompanied by the geological-geomorphological reconstruction of the area development, osteological, pollen, diatom and macro remains investigations. The economy of the inhabitants was based on hunting, gathering and fishing, but some traces of the agriculture and presence of the domesticated animals occurred also.

In 1997 the new stage in the Šventoji investigations started when an interdisciplinary excavation project, result of the cooperation between University of Bergen and National Museum of Lithuania was taken place in Šventoji. Archaeological background The best known area where settlements and find sites are representing Narva, Bay Coast (Corded Ware) and Globular Amphora cultures is situated near Šventoji village (Rimantiene,1979; 1980). Due to the exceptional conditions of preservation and great number of the settlements and sites what confirms stable people presence over a considerable period this are is especially important for the investigations of prehistoric populations (Rimantiene, 1992). At 1966, during the land reclamation southwards from Šventoji village, the first sites were discovered and initiated systematic archaeological survey. Since that time forty two sites were found, ten sites have been excavated, four of them had two occupation levels (Rimantiene, 1992 a). Sites and cultural layers 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 are attributed to Narva and 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5, 7, 9, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 to Bay Coast (Haffküste, Rzucewo) culture (Rimantiene,1998) (Fig. 1). Pottery from the upper cultural horizon (A) in the find site 4 is typical of the Globular Amphora culture (Rimantiene, 1998). Chronology of the Šventoji sites are based on the 14C dates and according them mostly sites could be attributed to the Neolithic (Table 1).

Geological development of Šventoji area The Šventoji area is situated on the northern part of the Lithuanian coast (Fig. 1). Numerous archaeological sites are found within the Pajuris bog lying on the Litorina Sea terrace that is a part of Lithuanian maritime plain (Basalykas, 1965). The territory up to 3-km width has been influenced by the different stages of the Baltic Sea and the sediments as well as the landforms of the Baltic Ice Lake, Litorina and Postlitorina Sea have been identified here (Gudelis, 1979). The sand formations of the Baltic Ice Lake and till plain of the Late Weichselian Glaciation are situated eastwards from the Pajuris bog.

Development of the Litorina Sea has a primary importance for the formation of Šventoji area. A few transgressions and regressions of the sea level were recognized on Lithuania coast. The first Litorina Sea transgression, 80007800 BP, was of minor significance, the coastline of that basin in Lithuania lying between -10 to -6 m a.s.l. (Kabailiene, 1999) (Fig. 2).

Recent geological mapping suggests that it could not have been above -13 m a.s.l. (Bitinas et al., 2002). The maximal (second) transgression of the Litorina Sea took place at about 7200-5700 14C BP (Kabailiene and Rimantiene, 1995) reaching it’s highest altitude at about 6100 14C BP (Bitinas et al., 2002). The whole area of the Šventoji archaeological sites was covered by water at that time. A significant regression took place after the sea level high climax about 6000-5900 14C BP (Bitinas et al., 2002) and a semi-closed lagoon was formed along the present shoreline (Fig. 1). Influence of the third Litorina Sea transgression in to Šventoji area is under discussion. After the earlier investigations, the conclusion about the existence of rather small and short third Litorina Sea transgression (5200-4500 14C BP), detected by the diatom data was done (Kabailiene and Rimantiene, 1995). Some unusual location of the archaeological artefacts in the sites situated on the western slopes of the former lagoon was explained as resulted by transportation in high water (Rimantiene, 1979) and related with this transgression (Kabailiene and Rimantiene, 1995). Therefore the newest data, including 14C dating and lithological investigations confirms the continuous sedimentation in overgrowing lagoon. The diatom data shows a rather small and short Post-Litorina transgression at 4000-3500 14C BP (Kabailiene and Rimantiene, 1995).

On the eastern limit of the Pajuris bog a few levels of the Litorina Sea terrace’s limited by small slopes are seen (Fig. 1). The surface of the mentioned terraces is gradually sinking westwards from 9.8 m to 2.0 m a.s.l. The ridge of the sand dunes (+ 5-6m NN) stretches between the Pajuris bog and present sea coast.

The altitude of the Pajuris bog surface varies from1.8m to 0.7m a.s.l. There are a few levels of the surface within the bog itself. The lower part of the bog lies at about 0.7m–0.9m a.s.l. and the higher level is situated at about 1.5–1.8m a.s.l. Gyttja, in some places covered by the peat, fills the deepest areas and the higher territories are composed of the sand with gyttja and thin cover of the peat in separated places. In the transition zone (0.9m–1.5 ma.s.l.) gyttja enriched by the sand and partly covered by peat predominates.

Today this area is rather flat but probably was more undulating before the land amelioration that took place from the 1960’s onwards. The main part of the Pajuris bog is used for the agriculture and cattle breeding in our days. About two kilometres to the north of the Pajūris bog, within the present village, the Šventoji River is running to the sea. The human activity in the area is high today, also due to the value of the area as recreation zone.

The main features of the palaeovegetation development in the coastal zone Development of the vegetation cover along the coast of the Baltic Sea was directly influenced by the water level changes. Predominance of the plants, typical for the damp habitats and sandy soils typical for this region. After the regression of the water level at about 6100 14C BP, the areas were occupied by Alnus Mill., the tree typical for wet grounds (Fig. 3). Since 6100 14C BP and until the 5300 14C BP alder was predominated in local vegetation. Simultaneously, bogging of the broad areas started and for example Cyperaceae as well as different shrubs flourished here. Dry habitats with the fertile soils were occupied by Tilia, Quercus and Ulmus. Approaching the end of the Atlantic (5000 14C BP) period, alder has gradually dwindled from the area and the share of Betula and Pine increased. In to the southern part of the coastal zone Carpinus and Fraxinus established.

The new vegetation types were formed during Sub-Boreal (5000-2500 14C BP). Broad leave trees gradually lowered in representation, but wet territories still were overgrown by alder though it has been gradually replaced by birch. Also the share of the pine on the dry areas increases. Immigration of the Picea A. Dietrich was one of the main features of the vegetation composition. The first rise occurred at the early beginning of the Sub-Boreal, but it’s maximum was registered at about 3200-3000 14C BP. Increasing representation of the apophytes and occurrence of the anthropochors, denotes rising human activity.

A characteristic aspect of Sub-Atlantic (2500-0 14C BP) is the development of quite new woodland communities. The share of the mostly QM species is low and declining further on, but pine and birch forest spread in area. Only Quercus L. increased in representation at the transition from the SubBoreal to Sub-Atlantic that could be related with gradual acidification of the soils (Iversen, 1973). Spruce still was important component of the forest. Pollen grains of apophytes and anthropochors are registered in sediments and that proved human existence in area.

Sings of human activity in Šventoji The rich set of the archaeological and palaeobotanical data confirms people activity in Šventoji throughout the Neolithic.

Throughout the the Early-Middle Neolithic (6000-4400 14C BP), the earliest sings of the human interference into environment occurred. Appearance of microscopic charcoal particles, Pteridium Kuhn and after that Calluna L. suggests fire activity in area. Simultaneously ruderal plants, mainly Artemisia L. occurred and total diversity of NAP species increased. Changes in forest composition suggest some disturbances in the forest cover. Birch and hazel gain more ground at the period of high fire activity and elm drop in representation later. In areas situated northwards from Šventoji the separated pollen grains of Cerealia were found in sediments attributed to the end of the Middle Neolithic.

Human activity increased during the Late Neolithic (4400-3700 14C BP) in Šventoji. Formation of openings in the entire forest cover and appearance of the Cerealia pollen, even if the amount of the found pollen grains is minor, is served as the sign of human activity. Ruderal plants are common and their representation increased even more at a time of crop’s occurrence. Fire activity and formation of the forest glades is confirmed by increasing representation of the Pteridium Kuhn and peaks in charcoal curves. Juniperus L. and Calluna L. have occupied open areas on the sandy soils that were well developed around the investigated areas. Periods with increasing representation of cultivated land indicators, ruderal plants, wet and dry meadows species are unfavourable for Ulmus L.

Due to very low representation of the find pollen grains is very difficult to assert the development of this occupation at least in Šventoji. Palaeobotanical data discovered in archaeological content suggest the familiarity of the local people with cultural plants. A hemp cord was found at Šventoji-23 site, pollen grains of millet (Panicum L.) were identified in Šventoji-23 by Dr. N. Savukyniene and Italian millet (Setaria italica) together with emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum L.) were found in sediments from Šventoji–6 site (Rimantiene, 1992 a). Stone hoes, wooden ards (Šventoji-6 site and Šventoji–4A find place) and wooden yoke (Šventoji-4A find place) suggest agriculture activity or familiarity with it by Šventoji inhabitants (Rimantiene, 1992 a). Representation of the domestic animals bones in the Late Neolithic sites in Šventoji area is rather sparse and only single bones of the dog together with the pieces of, probably, cattle bones were identified in Šventoji-1A site (Rimantiene, 1980).

Sings of the human activity in Šventoji area during the Bronze and Iron Age are lacking.

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Date received: November 30, 2003

Copyright © 2003 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # camu-19.