XIX a. Klaipėdos silkių rūšiavimo sandėlio veikla ir infrastruktūra (prekybą ir jūrinę veiklą Klaipėdoje reprezentuojantys artefaktai)

LT2016 m. archeologiniai kasinėjimai Klaipėdos XIX amžiaus silkių rūšiavimo sandėlio viduje pirmą kartą suteikė tikslinių duomenų apie sandėlio vidaus priklausinius, infrastruktūrą. Tyrimų metu buvo aptiktas daugiau atitikmenų Lietuvoje neturintis archeologinis radinys – XIX amžiaus silkių rūšiavimo ir laikymo inžinerinė sistema, leidžianti imtis platesnės sandėlio veiklos analizės, pirmą kartą kompleksiškai įtraukiant istorinius, ikonografinius, archeologinius duomenis. Straipsnyje aprašoma sandėlio veikla, jo infrastruktūros funkcija, gilinamasi į sociokultūrinį šio sandėlio veiklos kontekstą. Be to, pristatomu tyrimu siekta geriau suprasti ir atskleisti uostamiesčiui būdingų veiklų specifiškumą, atkreipti dėmesį į jūrinės kultūros svarbą miesto identiteto paieškose kartu pabrėžiant Klaipėdos marinistinio paveldo išsaugojimo problemas ir jo pritaikymo galimybes. Reikšminiai žodžiai: archeologinė mediena, jūrinis paveldas, konservavimas, kubilai, silkių sandėlis. [Iš leidinio]

ENAccording to historical records, after the departure of herring from the Baltic Sea, their main importer in Europe between 1820 and 1880 became Norway. Like other Prussian ports at the time, Klaipėda engaged in herring trade-related activities. This is shown by the historical information about the herring warehouses that was depicted in early 19th-century maps, along with other historical information. However, many public warehouses burned down during the Great Fire of 1854, and reconstruction work was launched in the city shortly after. On the site of the previous salt storage warehouse, a building was reconstructed in 1857 and customized for the sorting of herring. Although a lot of historical, iconographic, and archaeological information has been collected regarding this warehouse as a building and its surroundings, a thorough investigation of the warehouse’s operations, purpose, and significance has not yet been conducted. The archaeological excavations of the 19th-century Klaipėda herring sorting warehouse in recent years, for the first time, provided focused information about the internal facilities and infrastructure of the warehouse and opened opportunities for scientific research. During detailed research conducted by Klaipėda University and the Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, an archaeological finding with no more equivalent in Lithuania was discovered inside the warehouse: a wooden engineering system of the 19th century for sorting and storing herring, which became the subject and direction of further research on the warehouse and the basis for a broader analysis of the activities of this warehouse.When reconstructing the warehouse, there was a threat of partial destruction of the engineering system of the herring sorting, and there were no opportunities to preserve this technical monument at the place of discovery, so during the archaeological excavations, the lifting and conservation work of the best-preserved tubs and their facilities – metal hoops and wooden covers – were undertaken. Klaipėda University, the finder of the artefact, retained the responsibility for preserving and conserving the findings. After a detailed analysis of archaeological and historical data, it is concluded that the underground system of wooden tubs and their gutters installed in the warehouse is multifunctional and was installed over the entire area of the warehouse. It fulfilled the requirements for further distribution and selling of herring: 1) maintaining the required temperature; 2) washing herring; 3) sorting and quality control functions. According to inquiries conducted at the museums of the Baltic region and a search in iconographic and historical sources, no counterparts of a similar engineering system have been found. Herring sorting and salting were often done outside, but in the case of Klaipėda, an underground engineering system with wooden and brick chutes, brick arches for sewage, and wooden tubs was erected inside the warehouse. Herring warehouses lost importance at the start of the 20th century as trade moved to the framework of nation states due to the development of the industrial revolution, the emergence of powerful shipping companies, and modernization processes.The article aims to emphasize the significance of the preservation of maritime heritage for the country’s culture and history. When commemorating the 100th anniversary of the annexation of Klaipėda to Lithuania, it is especially relevant to emphasize that the activities and infrastructure of the herring sorting warehouse in Klaipėda in the 19th century are the artifacts representing trade and maritime activities in Klaipėda, which after conservation and restoration must be exhibited and presented to the public in the future. [From the publication]