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Keywords: agriculture

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AUKŠTADVARIO APYLINKIŲ ŽEMDIRBIŲ TIKĖJIMAI IR PAPROČIAI JONO BALIO DARBŲ DUOMENIMIS II THE BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS OF FARMERS IN THE AUKŠTADVARIS REGION ACCORDING TO THE WORKS OF JONAS BALYS

Jonas Mardosa

https://doi.org/10.15181/rh.v33i0.2743

Pub. online: 16 Dec 2025 Type: Article

Open Access

Journal: Res Humanitariae Volume 33, Issue 1 (2025), pp. 113–139

Abstract

The article is based on agricultural customs and beliefs collected in the Lithuanian Folklore Archive taken from Lithuania by the ethnologist Jonas Balys and published in a book in the USA. The originals of the published sources are named in the Beliefs File (BF), and are stored in the library archive of the Institute of Lithuanian History. Based on this material, the article analyses the customs and beliefs of spring work in the Aukštadvaris region. The aim is to determine to what extent the published US sources correspond to the stored BF data, and it is concluded that most of the material published by Balys is BF, but there are unpublished as well as beliefs in the book which were not found in the Institute of Lithuanian History. The analysis of the beliefs about ploughing and sowing cereal crops and planting vegetables recorded in the Aukštadvaris region in the first half of the 20th century in the article revealed the possibility of using material from the book and the BF file to conduct a fully fledged study of the important local and wider area of the economic and spiritual life of farmers in the first half of the 20th century.

Archaeobotanical evidence from the Bandužiai (Žardė) Late Bronze Age to Late Iron Age settlement in western Lithuania

Kotryna Alma Bojarskaitė

Ieva Masiulienė

Dalia Kisielienė

https://doi.org/10.15181/ab.v32i0.2755

Pub. online: 16 Dec 2025 Type: Article

Open Access

Journal: Archaeologia Baltica Volume 32, Issue 1 (2025), pp. 66–98

Abstract

The Žardė–Laistai–Bandužiai archaeological complex is one of the largest and most unique prehistoric sites in western Lithuania, dating from the 1st millennium BC to the 13th–14th centuries. Within the complex, the ancient settlements of Bandužiai (Žardė) and Bandužiai I are distinguished by the abundance of features linked to production and economic activities. Years of research at the Bandužiai (Žardė) settlement have provided copious amounts of archaeological material, mostly related to metallurgical activities, but its fragmentary nature makes interpretation difficult and highlights the need for an interdisciplinary approach. This paper presents a more comprehensive overview of the Bandužiai (Žardė) settlement through archaeobotanical finds which have been systematically collected but only analysed to a limited extent. The material derives from multiple archaeological contexts, some of which were radiocarbon-dated using AMS. The dates revealed a direct chronology for some archaeological features, extending from the Late Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age, with the exception of the Roman period. The archaeobotanical analysis produced a large dataset of charred and waterlogged plant remains, enabling detailed insights into agricultural practices, settlement structure and environmental conditions over time, and providing rare insights into plant use in production-oriented areas. Results demonstrated that while the main cultivated species varied across different phases, environmental conditions remained relatively stable. Wild and cultivated plants indicated a frequent human presence from the Pre-Roman period, intensifying in later times. Evidence also suggests that the site might have been used differently at certain times, with a clearly defined industrial zone, a possible food preparation zone and even a short-lived domestic zone during the Viking period. These findings provide one of the most comprehensive archaeobotanical datasets from western Lithuania, contributing to wider discussions of agricultural development and human–environment interaction in the eastern Baltic.

Human-induced vegetation change in the Turaida vicinity during the Iron Age and the medieval period

Alise Gunnarssone Aija Ceriņa

Sabīne Krēsliņa All authors (6)

https://doi.org/10.15181/ab.v31i0.2666

Pub. online: 27 Dec 2024 Type: Article

Open Access

Journal: Archaeologia Baltica Volume 31 (2024), pp. 83–97

Abstract

A lack of detailed information on pollen from the Gauja River valley potentially limits the

strength of various reconstructions (vegetation composition, human impact, dominant agricultural

activities) for this territory. This study seeks to examine the human-induced changes on

vegetation, in particular with regard to the arrival of the Livs in the Turaida vicinity during the

Late Iron Age. Here, we present the first analyses of pollen data, macroscopic plant remains and

macroscopic charcoal undertaken in the lower Gauja River valley (territory inhabited by Gauja

Livs). The gathered sediment record, or the Roči bog, points to the appearance of the Livs in the

territory during the 10th century. Our results show an accelerating shift in the landscape from

dense forest coverage to inclusion of more open areas, which would be consistent with the clearing

of areas for cultivation.

The human-induced change resulted in a decrease in forest coverage, an increased presence of

cultivated plants and an acute intensification of fire-related events. The sediment record shows

that oat cultivation was dominant during the Late Iron Age and other crops (barley, wheat, rye)

came into sustained use only at the beginning of the medieval period. The sudden decline in all

cultivated crops (barley, oats, rye and wheat) in the mid-14th century could be due to sudden

environmental changes or to the Black Death, but as this data contradicts research from other

parts of Latvia, further study is advisable.

Adaptability and resilience: farming practices in Lithuania during the Roman Iron Age

Karolis Minkevičius

Rokas Vengalis

Giedrė Piličiauskienė

All authors (6)

https://doi.org/10.15181/ab.v31i0.2664

Pub. online: 27 Dec 2024 Type: Article

Open Access

Journal: Archaeologia Baltica Volume 31 (2024), pp. 44–62

Abstract

This paper integrates archaeological, environmental and isotopic data from Roman Iron Age

(1–400 AD) settlements in Lithuania to present an updated framework for understanding the

development of farming and agricultural landscapes during this period. The study dates the introduction

of new crop species, such as rye and oats, to around 100–200 cal AD. Notably, rye

quickly became one of the most economically important crops, coinciding with the adoption

of the infield-outfield cultivation system. This system combined intensively farmed fields in

open, well-irrigated areas near settlements with more distant swiddens used for extensive farming.

Archaeobotanical analysis, along with δ15N and δ13C isotopic measurements of charred crop

assemblages, reveals a high level of diversification in both species composition and cultivation

strategies. These findings suggest that Roman Iron Age farmers employed complex farming methods

aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and expansion while maintaining adaptability

and resilience in response to environmental challenges.

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

Karolis Minkevičius

Giedrė Piličiauskienė

Vytenis Podėnas

All authors (11)

https://doi.org/10.15181/ab.v30i0.2564

Pub. online: 28 Dec 2023 Type: Article

Open Access

Journal: Archaeologia Baltica Volume 30 (2023), pp. 58–79

Abstract

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.

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

Rokas Vengalis

Karolis Minkevičius

Mantas Valančius

All authors (4)

https://doi.org/10.15181/ab.v29i0.2475

Pub. online: 27 Dec 2022 Type: Article

Open Access

Journal: Archaeologia Baltica Volume 29 (2022), pp. 119–148

Abstract

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.

Direct State Aid Measures for Agriculture and Rural Development in Latvia

Gunita Mazūre

https://doi.org/10.15181/rfds.v7i2.2370

Pub. online: 4 Aug 2022 Type: Article

Open Access

Journal: Regional Formation and Development Studies Volume 8, Issue 3 (2012), pp. 145–156

Abstract

Development of agriculture is a substantial element of a balanced development of a country, comprising the development of agricultural, forestry and fishery sectors as well as the aggregate of other economic, social, and ecological activities related to the rural environment. The two main types of state aid provided to agriculture and rural development include direct and indirect support. The state aid shall be fully consistent with the basic guidelines of the European Community regarding the support for agriculture. The aim of the research is to discuss the legal regulation in the sphere of state aid allocation and to analyse the dynamics and impact of allocated national subsidies for the development of agriculture and rural development. Currently, the requirements for allocation state aid in the form of subsidies undergo fundamental amendments within the framework of simplification of regulatory enactments of the EU CAP. The amendments relate to both the content and procedures of the requirements. The goal is to speed up the conformation and approval of state aid payments and to simplify the requirements for allocation of subsidies. It is envisaged that the amendments would not affect the targets of subsidies but they would provide more earmarked state support.

Hoes and the First Farmers on Lithuanian Territory: from Hoe to Ard

Algirdas Girininkas

https://doi.org/10.15181/ab.v26i0.2023

Pub. online: 5 Dec 2019 Type: Article

Open Access

Journal: Archaeologia Baltica Volume 26 (2019), pp. 66–79

Abstract

A hoe is a hand tool which appeared in Lithuania in post-glacial times together with the first population. Later, in the Mesolithic, the hoe became a universal tool used for versatile foraging purposes. Only antler hoes are known from these periods. The same function of hoes continued into the Neolithic/Bronze Age, with the only difference that their shapes changed, adapting to new work related to the cultivation of the first crops. In the Neolithic, stone and wooden hoes appeared along with antler hoes. In the Bronze Age, the function of hoes remained the same as in earlier times, but their wider use was related to hoefarming. The shape of hoes was changing, especially of snake-head hoes, which could be used for various ritual ceremonies. Only in the Middle to Late Bronze Age did the Neolithisation process come to an end, with the development of slash-and-burn agriculture and the domestication of animals. The first horn ards appeared in the Late Bronze Age.

Medieval Colanization and Abandonment in the South Swedish Uplands: a Review of Settlement and Land Use Dynamics Inferred from the Pollen Record

Per Lagerås

https://doi.org/10.15181/ab.v20i0.809

Pub. online: 30 Dec 2013 Type: Article

Open Access

Journal: Archaeologia Baltica Volume 20 (2013): Frontier Societies and Environmental Change in Northeast Europe, pp. 77–90

Abstract

In this review of pollen data from the South Swedish uplands, evidence is presented of colonisation and strong agricultural expansion during the 11th to 13th centuries, followed by farm abandonment and land use change during the 14th to 15th centuries. The latter is associated with the Black Death and the late medieval crisis. Pollen data show that abandonment in the uplands resulted in the regrowth of woodland, but also in land use change from cereal growing to grazing. Similar cycles of agricultural expansion and decline are identified also from earlier periods during the Iron Age, which highlights the sensitive character of upland agriculture and settlement.

Dental wear patterns in Lithuanian and Latvian paleoanthropological samples

Žydrūnė Miliauskienė Rimantas Jankauskas

Pub. online: 25 Nov 2009 Type: Article

Open Access

Journal: Archaeologia Baltica Volume 12 (2009), pp. 88–94

Abstract

Numerous researchers have stressed significance of tooth wear scoring for evaluation of earlier nutrition patterns and cultural practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate dental occlusal wear in several representative samples. The hypothesis tested was if transition from foraging subsistence to agriculture and later social stratification indeed was reflected by dental wear changes. According to results, the remarkable changes in nutrition patterns in the Baltic region occurred only in the Iron Age, which does not correspond with “classical” Neolithization model. The next substantial change in dental wear patterns is connected with increased social stratification in Late Medieval period.

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