Pabaisko Švč. Trejybės bažnyčios šventoriaus kapai
LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Apranga; Archeologija; Griaučiai; 16 amžius; 17 amžius; Medalionai; Monetos; Pabaisko bažnyčia; Palaidojimai; Papuošalai, keramika; 16 amžius; 17 amžius; Įrankiai; Šventorius; 16-17 cent; Archaeology; Burials; Churchyard; Clothing; Coins; Jewellery; Lithuanian XVI-XVII c. history; Medallions; Pabaiskas Church; Pottery; Skeletons; Tools.
ENIt is known from historical resources that Žygimantas Kęstutaitis built a church in the place of the battlefield of Pabaiskas in 1436 and donated lands to it. While searching for the graves of the participants of the Battle of Pabaiskas, the churchyard of the aforesaid church was explored (Piet. 1, 10 and 20). A plot of 51m2 was excavated, as well as 17 burial places and parts of 49 destroyed skeletons were discovered (Piet. 2 and 4). Presumably, they appeared in the territory of the churchyard when it was build and when the south-western slope was hightened and smoothed. 17 burial places were uncovered at different depths during the excavations. However, the contours of grave pits or graves were not identified. All the discovered burial places could be divided into three levels according to their depth: 1.110-114 cm (graves No. 1, 2, 4,10,11,12,14 and 15), II. 145- 175 cm (graves No. 3,5,7 and 8), and III. 180-220 (graves No. 6,9,13,16 and 17) (Piet. 5). All the deceased were buried following the same tradition: they were put to graves on their back and legs stretched (over 90 iron nails were found). The arms were stretched at the sides of the body or bent so that the hands appeared on the pelvis or waist (Piet. 2,6 and 7). The direction of burials was the same - all the deceased were placed their legs facing the altar, i.e. their heads facing the west.Such a custom is related to Christian tradition, when it was believed that on the last day of the Trial at the resurrection of the dead, a person would stand up facing the church. 7 graves of men, 6 graves of women and 3 graves of children were found in the cemetery. The age of the dead varied from 30 to 45. It was determined that only one dead woman was 20-25 years old. The children died at the age of 3-9. Only 41 % of the deceased were buried with cerements. The richest grave was No. 10, in which three coins and a knife were found. The graves of children did not contain any cerements, as it was characteristic for this period. Over 30 belongings were found outside the graves. It is assumed that they belonged to the destroyed graves. The cerements included medallions (Piet. 11), coins and household articles, such as knives, a knife sharpener and an axe (Piet. 13). Belt buckles were found as clothing arts (Piet. 16), whereas jewellery consisted of earrings, brooches (tin, moulded, plate and rosette), beads and rings (Piet. 18 and 19). The cemetery was established by the community of the town of Pabaiskas in the send half of the 16th - the first half of the 17th centuries. This chronology allows identifying the coins found in the graves as half-grosz of Sigismund Augustus and shillings of Sigismung III Vasa (Riga). [From the publication]
