Apie seniausių mūrų pradžią Vilniaus pilių teritorijoje

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Archeologiniai tyrimai, architektūriniai tyrimai; Architektūra; Geologiniai tyrimai; Mūrijimas; Seniausių mūrų pradžia; Sienos; Teritorija; Vilniaus pilių teritorija; Vilniaus Žemutinės pilies teritorija; Archaeological research; Architectural research; Architecture; Geological research; Origins of the Oldest Walls; Stonework; Territory; Vilnius Castles territory; Vilnius Lower Castle territory; Walls.

ENNo reliable historical sources about the beginning of brick construction in the territory of present-day Lithuania has survived. The assumptions being presented in publications up until the mid-20th century were not based on any research conducted on location. Lithuania, a state still in its early stages of independence after World War One, did not have the required specialists to address these questions. Under the conditions of the Soviet occupation following World War Two, in the autumn of 1950 a Scientific Restoration Manufactory was established that started collecting information about the development of brick construction in Lithuania. Greater details were gathered regarding the qualities of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism brick buildings, based on which their chronology could be determined. The Medininkai Castle ruins lying in the territory of present-day Lithuania provided an example of the Baltic Wendian bond method. The restorers suspected that examples of this brick bond method could also be found in the remains of older buildings in Vilnius, and the Vilnius castles territory. After all, Vilnius had been the capital of a large, important state in European history for a long time. [...] Archaeological, architectural and geological research of the Lower Castle territory expanded particularly in 1987-2009 when the remains of the rulers’ palace of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, on the south western slope of Castle (Gediminas’) Hill, were investigated. The research uncovered that cultural layers formed under Cathedral Square reached a depth of 7-10 m. It was also found that on the western slope of Castle (Gediminas’) Hill there was a higher cape-like protrusion around 3-7 m in height, whose gradient decreased to the west, towards the existing Archcathedral. Hie cape was surrounded from the south and west by the old channel of the Vilnia River; [...].According to the existing data, fragments of brushed, coarse and smooth ceramic ware were found in the lowest black-coloured cultural layer at the top of the cape near the western slope of Gediminas’ Hill (and on Gediminas’ Hill itself). Ties had been established with Ancient Rome already at the beginning of the first millennium: in 2007, the lowest cultural layer in the cellar of a two-storey 19th-century house revealed a 2nd-century Faustina II (145-175) coin from the Roman Empire - a sesterce. The lowest cultural layers also revealed half a stone axe with a hole left for the handle, etc. During research of the Lower Castle territory in 1987-2009, an area of 10 ha revealed over 60 brick wall fragments using the Baltic Wendian brick bond method. [...] A dendrochronological analysis of wood samples found within the zone of the third stage brick foundations showed that the logs used for wall M 25 were felled in the winter of 1326-1327. A wooden floor was also laid under the foundation of wall M 26, the logs being felled in 1328-1329. Based on these findings, the brick wall from the third stage of construction was built in the late 1320s. Once the new left branch of the Vilnia River course was dug out, the large enclosure started being built. It surrounded the south east, south, south west, west and north west parts of the Lower Castle territory. [...] During the fifth stage of brick wall construction, the territory’s north east and eastern parts were enclosed. It is possible that until then, this territory had been surrounded by a fence of spiked poles at the least. There is a mixture of brick bond methods used for the walls of this large enclosure: besides the Baltic Wendian method, there is also the Gothic brick bond method. This is typical of mid-14th century brick buildings in the eastern Baltic region.In this article the author presents the brick sizes and relative edge lengths typical for each stage. In addition, it was found that the above-ground wall from the first and second construction stages exhibits only the Baltic Wendian brick bond method, while in the third, fourth and fifth stages, a field boulder wall predominates. Only a brick belt of up to 90 cm wide was found in the inner side of the enclosure wall. Readers should note that no sign of Baltic Wendian brick bond method construction has been found in brick buildings of the Upper Castle. Here there is only the Gothic brick bond method, which became well established in our region only in the second half of the 14lh century. [From the publication]