New publication from our project!

A new paper has just been published in Heritage:

Piličiauskas, G., Peseckas, K., Kalinauskas, A., & Osipowicz, G. (2025). Neolithic Fishing Stations at Šventoji, Southeastern Baltic. Heritage, 8(11), 442. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8110442 (registering DOI)

The article explores the phenomenon of “de-Neolithisation” in the Eastern Baltic region — when Neolithic communities, especially those in resource-rich coastal zones, shifted back from animal husbandry to intensive fishing and aquatic resource exploitation.

At the Lithuanian site of Šventoji, dated to ca. 2850–2500 cal BC, recent excavations revealed fascinating insights into Neolithic stationary fishing techniques and technological changes compared to the earlier Subneolithic period. Researchers identified a clear shift in fish-weir and trap construction, from pine laths to round shoots of deciduous trees.

Among the most remarkable finds are two Neolithic stone battle axes with preserved wooden handles — exceptionally rare discoveries analysed using radiocarbon dating, taxonomic wood identification, and use-wear (traceological) analysis.

These results provide new perspectives on Neolithic technological innovation and adaptation to the aquatic environments of the southeastern Baltic.