Tomas Rimkus

Klaipeda University · Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology

Archaeological systematics, together with spatial and chronological information, are commonly used to infer cultural evolutionary dynamics in the past. For the study of the Palaeolithic, and particularly the European Final Palaeolithic and earliest Mesolithic, proposed changes in material culture are often interpreted as reflecting historical proce...

We present new AMS ¹⁴ C dates and technological characteristics of an enigmatic osseous implement – the T-shaped antler axe. T-shaped axes (T-axes) are made of red deer ( Cervus elaphus L.) antler beams with the perforation for a shaft through the removed trez tine. Our study centres on 33 axes from Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania, most of which were...

This paper discusses one of the most characteristic hunter-gatherer osseous implements — the T-shaped antler axe. These are made from red deer (Cervus elaphus) antler beam by removing the trez tine and creating a perforation for a shaft in its place. This type of axe is quite widely known in the Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic contexts of north...

Bone points were one of the major hunting implements in northern European hunter-gatherer societies. They differ in shapes, types, and manufacturing techniques. In this paper, we investigate 22 bone points from the territory of Lithuania, by studying their morpho-technological characteristics, direct dates, and adhesive residues. The majority are i...

Comparative macro-archaeological investigations of the human deep past rely on the availability of unified, quality-checked datasets integrating different layers of observation. Information on the durable and ubiquitous record of Paleolithic stone artefacts and technological choices are especially pertinent to this endeavour. We here present a larg...

Palaeobiological data, supplemented by new 14C dates in conjunction with palaeobotanical and lithological information, have allowed reconstruction of Middle Weichselian (MIS 3) environmental fluctuations in the southern Eastern Baltic region. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions implying non-glacial conditions during the Middle Weichselian (MIS 3) a...

Stone Age bone and antler implements are an essential study material, as they contain important information on hunter-gatherer tool making technology, dynamics in hunted animal species, choices of raw materials and much more. Some specimens have unique engravings and incisions on their surface, enabling the studies of the decoration patterns. Moreo...

The recent intensification of AMS 14C assays of bone and antler artefacts in the east and southeast Baltic region has revealed a number of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) antler axes, and their prevalence in the Late Palaeolithic osseous toolkit. One of the oldest, dating from 11 221–11 048 cal BC, was discovered in 2014 in the village of Parupė, on t...

In the context of archaeometallurgical studies of copper alloys, it is relevant to record the essential changes in the elemental composition of copper alloys that occur during changes in technology and transitions in human history. This article presents the shift in the elemental composition of copper alloy from bronze-based alloys to brass ones du...

The Final Palaeolithic in the Lithuanian coastal zone has so far been represented only by a few archaeological finds from individual contexts, and a small number of archaeological excavations. However, their analysis has not revealed much regarding the technological development of hunting implements and work tools, or the choice and the use of nece...

A new reconstruction of the Lateglacial - Early Holocene paleoenvironmental dynamics as a background of the habitation history in the territory of the Nemunas River Delta (NRD) was based on the geological-geomorphological, grain-size, isotope (14C), pollen and diatom data supplemented by archaeological information obtained within the framework of t...

We report on a virtual workshop aimed at advancing a new synthesis of techno-cultural patterns at the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary in Europe. We respond to the growing need of developing meta-analytical frameworks for comparing and eventually integrating disparate regional datasets and stress the opportunities of collaborative approaches. We propo...

The paper presents the first general archaeological data about the Stone Age period in the Tauragė and Šilalė districts, in the south of the historic Žemaitija (Samogitia) area of western Lithuania. Until recently, this area was almost excluded from the general context of Lithuanian and east Baltic Stone Age studies, due to a lack of information. H...

The paper presents directly dated evidence of microlithic and blade pressure technology from the newly discovered Žingiai Stone Age site situated in eastern Lithuania. During its extensive excavations in 2017–2018, numerous features containing typologically discerned lithic material and datable organic were uncovered. One feature, in particular, No...

This paper presents the latest data on the Mesolithic settlements in the Baltic Sea coast area of Lithuania. For thousands of years changing natural conditions and the development of the Baltic Sea have led to the fact that there are currently only a few Mesolithic sites known in this region. Their material mainly consists of stray finds, however t...

Abstract. The article sets out to discuss the distribution, typology and chronology of Lyngby type antler artefacts discovered in Northern Europe and the Eastern Baltic region for the first time in the Lithuanian scientific archaeological literature. Based on radiocarbon dating, the article makes a conclusion that the tools in question were used in...

Eksperimentiniai ir trasologiniai titnaginių peilių tyrimai. Skerdimo technologijų priešistorinėje Lietuvoje rekonstrukcija Tiriant Lietuvos akmens amžiaus medžiagą, gausiai aptinkama titnaginių skelčių su utilizacinėmis žymėmis darbinėse kraštinėse. Dažnai skeltės būna papildomai apdorotos įvairių tipų retušu, kuris byloja apie dirbinio panaudoji...