The document examines over 2,000 images from Lithuanian archaeological surveys between 1949-1967 to understand everyday life. It describes the difficult conditions faced by archaeologists during the Soviet occupation, including a lack of tools, equipment and funding. The images show how archaeologists improvised and collaborated with local communities, facing challenges like damaged sites but also finding benefits like fresh vegetables grown on excavation plots. The conclusions are that the images provide valuable insights while more remains to be uncovered about everyday realities during this period.
3. §The aim of this paper is to examine about 2,000 images to explore
what they tell us about Lithuanian society in general, and about
archaeological surveys in particular, during this period.
4. The Laiviai cemetery The Paveisininkų hill-fort
The Lower Castle of Vilnius The Kumelionys settlement
9. § „The Iron Curtain was the name for the non-
physical boundary dividing Europe into two
separate areas from the end of World War II in
1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991.“ (by
Wikipedia)
§ „Europe in 1945 was drained. Much of the
continent was devastated by war, mass slaughter,
bombing and chaos. Large areas of Eastern
Europe were falling under Soviet control,
exchanging one despotism for another.“ (Postwar:
A History of Europe Since 1945, by Tony Judt)
10. § Archaeologist Adolfas Tautavičius in 1949 wrote:
“An expedition took place under difficult conditions.
The government started to found Kolkhozes
[collective farms] and Sovkhozes [state farms],
begun deportation of farmers. Part of these
farmsteads were empty, without windows, doors,
overturned fences. Inhabitants were frightened,
especially when they saw a car full of people. Then
was difficult to know something from them.”
Adolfas Tautavičius in 1964
12. The first
occupation
by the
Soviet Union
The
occupation
second by
the Nazis
The third
(re)occupation
by the Soviet
Union
Morethan1000000peopledied.
13. Archaeologist Rimutė Rimantienė in 1967
wrote: “I hired local children to work in an
archaeological excavation. After some time,
however, they would begin to play and
throw dirt at each other. Sometimes children
hurried to work and damaged any
potsherd.”
Rimutė Rimantienė in 1954
14. The men and boys were
usually dressed in trousers,
shirts and jackets, the women
– in dresses, shirts and skirts.
In 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962
15. In the 1960s during
archaeological excavations
women started to wear
trousers and changed their
style of clothing.
In 1967
17. § Rimutė Rimantienė described: “We have to
excavate a Stone Age settlement, but the
head of the Kolkhoz forgot and planted
potatoes in this site. But everything was ok.
The head let us dig the potatoes. We dug
it day after day and ate. Potatoes, kefir
and salads, and later cucumbers and
tomatoes. No one sold it for us, we just
discovered vegetables on our beds. […]
Only butter, milk and cheese we ordered
from local people. Kids caught fishes.”
Rimutė Rimantienė in 1953
20. § Pranas Kulikauskas around 1948–1949
wrote: “We didn‘t have any tools or
equipment. “Spoons“ and brushes were
borrowed from other museums. The
Museum of Šiauliai gave us a camera.
We drew the plans ourselves.”
Pranas Kulikaukas in the1953
27. In 1962, 1965, 1967
The usual practise was to
order a truck to carry
everything to the
excavated place and
from it.
28. In 1954, 1964, 1962, 1961
In 1962, Pranas Kulikauskas
wrote about one exciting
example: “On the hill-fort we
could go with a boat, because
there was a lake. From the
other side, we could walk,
since there was water up to
our knees.“
31. From the Rimutės
Rimantienės diary in
1963: “Here in Rudnia
village, life is very good.
The forest is full of
berries. The girls picked
a lot of berries, but we
could not eat them all,
so from what was left
we cooked and made
jam.”
Ending of excavation, 1954
32. The research revealed that these
images are the right tool to
explore the everyday reality in
general and that of
archaeological excavations in
particular.
Part of the issues were obvious
and easily detected. About other
conditions, there are only hints.
The images are informative
sources yet there remains more
to be uncovered.„How much gold you dug? – peasants usually
asked. In 1957.
