Baltų ir skandinavų karinių ryšių beieškant

LTLinkuvos (Vaižgantų), Pakruojo raj., kapinynas yra į pietvakarius nuo miestelio kapinių, apardytas dirbant žemę ir savavališkai kasinėjant jo teritorijoje. Jis žinomas nuo XIX amžiaus pabaigos, tačiau iki pastarųjų metų buvo netyrinėtas. Kapinyno teritorija žvalgyta 1968, 1991 ir 1996 metais Istorijos instituto Archeologijos skyriaus darbuotojų. 1999 metais kapinynas pradėtas tyrinėti (vadovė dr. Ilona Vaškevičiūtė). Buvo ištirtas 246 kv. m. plotas, aptikti penki IX-XI amžiais datuojami griautiniai kapai. Perkasos Nr. VI vakarinėje dalyje aptiktas apardytas vyro kapas Nr. 5. jis davė naujos medžiagos, atspindinčios Linkuvos apylinkių žmonių gyvenseną, baltų ir skandinavų karinius-prekybinius ryšius. Šio straipsnio tikslas paskelbti surinktą medžiagą. [Įvadas]

ENDuring the exploration in 1999 of Linkuva (Vaižgantai) burial ground in Pakruojis district a disturbed male burial site was uncovered (Burial 5, Fig. 1) which provided new material about the way of life of people inhabiting the Linkuva environs, and about the Baltic Scandinavian military-trade relations. The aim of this article is to advance the new material. The remains of a male burial site were found at the depth of 60 cm. The individual was buried supine with legs extended and head oriented to the west 270°. The head and chest area was completely destroyed. Only the waist and leg area remained intact (Figs 1,2). Burial items in the waist and leg area were well preserved. In the waist area we uncovered a small fragment of an amber bead, a silver ring with 12 spirals and bent ter minals, and a few unrecognizably destroyed iron arti facts, one of which resembled a blade of an iron knife. A scabbard was placed by the inner side of the right leg. The scabbard was made of wood, 80 cm long, presumably used to be covered with leather (?), and had metal bindings on the edges. By one end of the scabbard, in the waist area, among rusty and crumbled fragments of artifacts, a link-spacer plate was found which was used for fastening the scabbard to the belt. The point of the scabbard had a bronze chapes. A splendid bronze spur was found near the left tarsus bone. The bronze binding on the point of this scab bard (2, Fig. 3:1) represented the most interesting find of the burial site. It was sized 8,0x4,5 cm and orna mented in the so-called Borre style, i. e. had an orna ment of highly stylized figurine of a small bird. Among other scabbard chapes of the same style the mentioned find stood out for not being openwork. Two irregular perforations on one side of the scabbard reminded of a casting spoilage.The shape was put on in such a way that the spoiled side of the point of scabbard would always be turned to the owner. Few similar scabbard chapes have been found in Lithuania; so far only three find places are known. Outside Lithuania such artifacts are also few. They were widespread in the vast territories of Europe and found on the eastern and western coasts of the Baltic Sea (Fig. 4). The Northern Europe - the Viking land - is, undoubtedly, the place of origin of such finds. Researchers relate such shapes to the Swedish and date them to the 10th-11th century. The described sword chapes stimulated the appear ance of new Baltic varieties. Local armourers transformed the ornament of imported bindings lending them the Baltic colouring and originality. Other burial items were manufactured by local masters, but they vividly demonstrated that the buried individual had belonged to the local social elite. This was also proved by rare imported artifacts (sword scabbard with a Scandinavian binding), ornaments made of precious metals (silver spiral ring) and local splendid riding gear (bronze spur). Such items could not have been put into a burial place of an ordinary member of the community. In the Middle Ages spurs were equaled to swords. They were worn only by social elite and professional warriors. It is a pity that the burial site is badly disturbed. It is possible that it was plundered in old times. It could have hardly been disturbed by ploughing because it was found at the depth of 60 cm. Burials places at such a depth cannot be damaged by ploughs. Therefore Burial 5, uncovered in the Linkuva burial ground and dated to the 10th century, reveals the trade relations with Scandinavia and reflects the contemporary social strata. The buried individual had a high social position, presumably; he was the chief of the community.The described burial site of a Lithuanian head man is a serious contribution to the archeological investigations of Semigallian ethnocultural region and helps to get a better view about the way of life in prehistoric Lithuania. [From the publication]