Klaipėdos universitetas

In the context of archaeometallurgical studies of copper alloys, it is relevant to record the essential

The Civitas Rutenica area, inhabited by Orthodox believers, emerged in Vilnius in the late 13th century and early 14th century. The development of this part of the city can be traced all through the 14th century. The cemetery that was discovered in the central part of Civitas Rutenica reflects cultural and social changes in the Orthodox community. Christian burial rites were practised in this cemetery. Several graves contained luxurious grave goods, including jewellery, some of which was common to the Slavs, and some of which had local origins. As an integrated approach to burial traditions indicates, people of the Orthodox faith were buried in this cemetery. According to written sources, the elite from Rus’ arrived in Vilnius at that time. An analysis of anthropological material reveals some features of the social structure of the Orthodox community.

Goods decorated in the Ring Decoration style are prevalent in Sambian-Natangian culture from the early phase of the Late Roman Period. Several types of adornment are known: with single or several hoops, and with a combination of wire and embossed foil. Ring Decoration types can be used as date markers, since they existed at fixed periods in time. Pieces decorated with rings can be assigned to the regions of the Vistula and the Baltic Sea islands, and can be considered evidence of contacts between the elites of Sambia, Scandinavia and Germania Libera.