Peršaukštis-Kasčiukai barrow cemetery

Straipsnyje pristatomi Peršaukščio-Kasčiukų pilkapyno tyrinėjimą rezultatai. Pilkapyne 2002-2004 m. ištirti 8 sampilai. Dalyje pilkapių aptikta griautinių ir degintinių kapų su įkapėmis. Keliuose pilkapiuose kapų nebuvo. Ištirti sampilai ir kapai skirstomi į tris gnipes, datuotinas skirtingais laikotarpiais: Va. viduriu -VI a. pradžia, I tūkstantmečio viduriu ar antrąja puse bei IX-XII a.The Peršaukštis-Kasčiukai barrow cemetery (Švenčionys district.) is located about 1 km to the S from the Peršaukštis village, about 1.5 km to the NW from the Kasčiukai village, 0.6 km to the ESE frm the E bank of the Sariai lake, in the Peršaukštis forest, alongside the Vilnius-Švenčionys road. The barrows are situated in three groups together containing at least 18 remaining mounds. Supposedly, all three groups are the remainders of a large destroyed cemetery. In 2002-2004 eight barrows were excavated (with the total area of 1446.25 m2 ) in the 1st northwestern and the 2nd northeastern groups. The excavated barrows were 6-12 m in diameter and up to 1.3 m high. Some of them had been severely destroyed prior to the excavations. The construction of the barrows was not uniform. Barrows 4, 6, 7 and 9 in the northeastern group were surrounded by pits of various sizes. No regularities in location of the pits were observed, except for the fact that big gaps between the pits in barrows 4, 6 and 7 coincided, perhaps not incidentally, with the orientation of inhumation graves. Inside the pit circle of barrow 9 there was another pit filled in before the erection of the mound. Barrows 1, 2 and 5 of the northwestern group, as well as barrow 3 of the northeastern group were arranged differently from those mentioned above. They were surrounded by small pits arranged in a regular circle. In barrow 2 all pits formed a continuous ditch. All these barrows lacked stone circles. On the primary ground surface level of all excavated barrows no typical layer of charcoal was detected. Presumably, no rituals involving fire were performed in the funeral. At least seven graves were found in the excavated Peršaukštis-Kasčiukai barrows. Barrows 4 (grave 3), 6 (grave 1) and 7 each contained one inhumation burial. Their construction was typical to East Lithuanian barrows of the 2nd quarter or middle of the 1st millenium. The bodies had been disposed in the centre of the barrows, in the pits dug out prior to the erection of the mound. No remains of coffins were detected. The sketetons had been severely decayed. The deceased were headoriented to the W or NW. In barrows 4 (graves 1,1A and 2), 6 (grave 2) and 9, cremation graves were found. Grave 1 of barrow 9 was arranged in a large pit dug out before the erection of the mound. The shape and orientation of the pit is the same as that of the inhumation graves. Other cremation graves were dug into earlier barrows containing inhumation graves or between the mounds. In grave 2 of barrow 6 the cremated bones had been simply strewn on the bottom of a pit on the edge of the mound and covered with sand. Stray cremated bones, most likely originating from a destroyed grave, were also found on the surface of this mound. The remains of at least nine individuas were identified osteologically in inhumation and cremation graves. Individuals of different ages and both sexes were buried in the barrows. Comparatively few burial items were found in the excavated inhumation and cremation graves. According to construction of the mounds and the burial items, the barrows and graves can be divided into three chronological groups. The inhumation graves of barrows 4, 6 and 7 as well as the cremation grave of barrow 9 should be ascribed to the first group. They are related by location of the barrows (situated one beside the other), similar construction, grave orientation towards one point and burial items. The chronological gap between these graves is not significant and they can be considered to be contemporaneous. Their relative dating is the last stage of inhumation practice and the period when it was replaced by cremation, i.e. from the middle of the 5th c. to the beginning of the 6th c. Domination of warrior burial items specific to this period is observed in the graves. Another feature typical to East Lithuanian Barrow Culture, burial of younger males with richer burial items, is also evident. The remaining cremation graves are relatively later. Scarce and unvaried burial items provide almost no data on their chronology. Only grave 2 of barrow 6 may be very approximately dated to the middle or the 2nd half of the 1st millenium. Barrows 1, 2 and 5, which contained no burials as well as barrow 3 with stray finds should be ascribed to the third chronological group. Their construction and artefacts are typical to the 9th-12th c. The mounds without graves are still an unexplained trait of East Lithuanian barrows. They probably embody certain symbolic meanings, perhaps that of symbolic horse burial. Their interpretation as territorial markers is also possible. The empty barrows might have been made after a break of several centuries by a new community that started using the old disposal area aiming in such a way to legitimize their claims to the territory