Žemių ribų ženklinimas Lietuvos Didžiojoje Kunigaikštystėje XV-XVI amžiuje

LTStraipsnio objektas – privačių žemių valdų ribų žymėjimas Lietuvos Didžiojoje Kunigaikštystėje (toliau – LDK) XV–XVI a. Tyrimas grindžiamas istorinių šaltinių duomenimis ir jų analize. Nagrinėjamos žemių ribų atsiradimo priežastys, jų žymėjimo ištakos ir tolesnė raida. Aptariamas valdų atribojimuose detalizuotas riboženklių naudojimas, ribų žymėjimo sampratos ir tradicijos pastovumas bei kaita. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (LDK; Grand Duchy of Lithuania; GDL); Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (LDK; Grand Duchy of Lithuania; GDL); Riba; Ribonė; Riboženklis; Žemėvalda; Ženklas; Boundary; Land holding; Land-ownership; Landmark; Marker; Sign; The Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

ENPaper analyses the marking of private land boundaries in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 15th-16th c. One of the goals is to explain what led to the emergence of the earliest boundary markers and how the concept of boundary marking changed. During the period under review the GDL was going through considerable social and administrative changes. With the strengthening of the state, the concept of property and the principles of land division into spatial units changed as well. Eventually the traditionally prevailing land-ownership rules were no longer sufficient; the right of land-ownership was marked by set boundaries that were agreed upon by neighbours. The first land boundaries were forests, swamps, lakes, rivers, and other geographic features that surrounded settlements and the land holdings used by people. The borders of more intensively used lands were marked with artificial signs: trees marked with carved symbols (crosses), as well as trees with bee hives, centuries-old oak trees, withered trees, or trees struck by lightning. Also specially-built earth mounds (kapčiai), stacked stone cairns and stones engraved with signs were used. In the first half of the 16th c. the distance between signs was measured variously: miles, versts, “arrow shot” distance; area was measured in barrels, ploughshares, morgens, valakai, lunkai. With the appearance of more precise measurements, borders evolved as well – they were straightened, adjusted. This was the beginning of territorial division and rational land management. After the article a discussion is published, during which this topic was expanded on, questions asked by the seminar’s participants were answered. [From the publication]