Krikščioniškoji laidosena Lietuvoje XIII-XV amžiais: identifikavimo problemos

LTPagrindinis krikščionybės bruožas Viduramžiais - griautinis laidojimo būdas, pakeitęs kremaciją. Kiti bruožai gana įvairūs, dalis iš jų gali būti būdingi ir kitoms laidosenos tradicijoms, be to, net ir griautinis kapas negali būti be išlygų priskiriamas krikščionybei. Todėl kyla diskusijų, kai, atradus nežinomą XIII-XV a. laidojimo paminklą, reikia jį priskirti kuriai nors konfesijai. Krikščioniškoji laidosena, jai būdingi elementai ir identifikacijos galimybės Lietuvoje tyrinėti gana mažai. Straipsnyje siekiama parodyti šios temos sudėtingumą ir paskatinti tyrėjus skirti jai daugiau dėmesio. Straipsnį sudaro dvi pagrindinės dalys - pirmiausia pristatoma, su kokiais sunkumais susiduria archeologai, siekdami nustatyti, ar laidojimo paminklas yra krikščioniškas. Aptariamos tai lemiančios aplinkybės, tokios kaip archeologijos specifika, rašytinių šaltinių trūkumas, kai kurių laidosenos elementų universalumas, o Lietuvos atveju - laidosenos būdų įvairovė Viduramžiais. Toliau analizuojami būdingi krikščioniškosios laidosenos bruožai, kurie atsiskleidžia būtent archeologinių tyrimų metu vertinant kapus, aptariami įvairūs kriterijai, siejami su krikščioniškąja laidosena. Reikšminiai žodžiai: laidosenos bruožai, krikščionybė, pagonybė, archeologija. [Iš leidinio]

ENA key feature of Medieval Christianity involves the practice of inhumation burials instead of cremation. Other features are quite dissimilar, however, with some being typical of other customs in burial traditions. Moreover, even an inhumation grave cannot be unreservedly attributed to Christian practices. Therefore, this issue gives rise to discussions as to what confession a burial monument should be attributed to, especially when no written records are available and materials are scarce, which makes a definitive attribution of a burial site to either pagans or Christians impossible. Discussions concerning the confessional affiliation of investigated burial sites are often based on the chronology, localisation and analysis of finds, with a focus on burial methods, either cremation or inhumation. However, specific features, which are not so evident, are sometimes overlooked. The specifics of archaeology mean that the exploration of a burial ground allows us to deal only with materials that have survived in the soil and left traces, while the liturgy, prayers and other such things remain unknown. Thus, finds occur without giving a full picture, a more or less limited scope of data being available. We therefore maintain that the main condition for research is a requisite integral analysis, involving both elements of burial practices and other archaeological and historical materials, as well as archaeological, historical, cultural and social contexts.Research into burial practices and customs is not only relevant for the identification of confessional affiliation, but is also important for the determination of a deceased individual’s economic position, social status, gender and age differences, etc. Some elements of burial practices are common and universal; various features recur across different historical periods. Furthermore, burial practices are to a great extent related to the people that were involved in the burial ritual, while a formal ritual is not always necessarily applied in practice. In addition, geographical differences, both in a narrow and a broad sense (the periphery versus the urban environment), possible differences between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox rites, chronological frameworks, and similar aspects, should be taken into account. Thus, minor deviations from the norm could make their way into Christian funerary monuments. This article provides insights into the available knowledge about Christian burial practices and the possibilities for the archaeological identification of their features. The article delineates difficulties experienced by archaeologists when attempting to determine whether a funerary monument is attributable to a Christian type, provides an analysis of features that are revealed in archaeological research, discusses criteria relating to Christian burial practices, such as inhumation in a coffin, an east-west axial orientation, the absence or scarcity of grave goods, the interment of the children of a community in contrast to the graves of adults, interment in multiple horizons, the arms folded crosswise on the chest or abdomen, etc. The article highlights the difficulties relating to the identification of features of Christian burial practices in Lithuania, and calls on researchers to pay more attention to this promising theme. [From the publication]

• Istorija / History
• Archeologija / Archaeology