Burgwälle als Archive der Siedlungsforschung

Ein neuer Ansatz zur Datierung von Burgwällen im Baltikum am Beispiel von Apuolė in Litauen

Abstract

Despite the large number of castle ramparts and their long history of research they constitute one of the least understood Baltic monuments. Especially dating the sites has proven difficult in most cases. Using the example of the fortification of Apuolė in Lithuania, which was examined in the 1930s by a profile section, an alternative dating method is suggested: a succession of drillings, which provides insight into the mound’s stratigraphic structure, is combined with taking specific samples, which secures scientific based dating. The article presents the latest results of research in Apuolė and confirms with 15 further ¹⁴C datings from the eastern rampart the established chronological assessment that the complex dates back to 30 cal BC and 1000 cal AD (2σ = 95,4 % probability), in other words covering the entire first post-Christian millennium. Thereby, drilling prospection is presented as an alternative method for dating fortifications and its potentials and limitations are discussed.