Amber Trade

The nomads, adapted to the extremely harsh living conditions in the Eurasian steppe zone, wandered with their herds of animals through contract- territories. However, natural disasters, pestilences or overexploitation of land contributed to the search for new pastures, which often resulted in military conflicts. War was not only a method of expanding the borders of nomads, control over trade routes and neighbouring populations, and expanding the boundaries of political influence were all at stake. Rituals that can be categorised as war magic were used to ensure the success of war expeditions or the durability of alliances.
Accounts of the rituals performed by the Turkic peoples come from the oldest Asian literary monuments – epitaphs. A few centuries later, records in European chronicles informed of magical practices designed to attract success to Turkic warriors. These were rituals related to the realm of belief and the imagining of the world order (shamanism, totemism, myths), to war and the 'programming' of its end (sacred hunting, sacrifices, divination), to the making of pacts (exchange of gifts, oaths), and finally to the marking of spheres of influence in newly conquered territories (marking, sanctification). Archaeological finds add to the knowledge of these complex beliefs.

T he Amber Room (figure 1), located in the Catherine Palace in the Russian town of Pushkin (previously Tsarskoye Selo), is considered by many historians the pinnacle of amber craftsmanship. The chamber is a reconstruction of the first Amber Room, which was begun in 1701 by order of Frederick I of Prussia and was actually a series of large panels designed to be mounted onto walls within Berlin's Charlottenburg Palace. The original project took 13 years to complete. Once it was finished, Frederick's son, William I, presented the amber panels to Peter the Great of Russia to commemorate a treaty between the two rulers against Charles XII of Sweden. The panels were installed in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg and in 1755 moved to the Catherine Palace, where they remained for nearly 200 years. In 1941, Nazi Germany invaded Russia. After surrounding St. Petersburg (called Leningrad between 1924 and 1991), they occupied Pushkin. Just before the invaders reached the palace, its caretakers removed the smaller amber objects from the Amber Room and attempted to hide the panels behind wallpaper. The invading German officers, however, knew of the room and confiscated the panels before destroying most of the palace. After the war, the panels were never seen again.

Summary of the amber material and its significance, its history in Chinese art, its use as a trade item, mention of some Chinese archaeological sites with amber artifacts, amber carvings of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and list of Chinese amber collections in Western museums and private collections.

The discovery of amber inlays from Kerkenes, an Iron Age settlement located in central Anatolia, represents one of the easternmost points in Anatolia where amber has been reliably retrieved from an archaeological excavation. Consequently, the provenance and transportation mechanisms involved in the procurement of these artefacts became a subject of inquiry. Utilising FTIR spectroscopy and stylistic analysis, the current study aims to answer those questions by investigating the provenance and physical conditions of the Kerkenes amber specimens. The results of spectroscopic analysis have indicated a Baltic origin for all analysed amber samples from Kerkenes. Moreover, the analysis has also hinted at the heat treatment and subsequent oxidisation of the samples. These f indings, when considered alongside decades of archaeological investigations on amber in Europe, confirm that amber supply networks from the Baltic Sea to the Aegean and Black Sea regions exhibited a degree of resilience over time and/or underwent re-establishment during the period of Phrygian dominance in central Anatolia. Furthermore, a stylistic analysis of the amber and ivory inlays from the same context indicates a cultural association not only with Phrygian Gordion but also with the broader regional cultural horizons.

Visual Arts Texts is an ongoing peer-reviewed journal
published once a year by the Lithuanian National Art Museum
(LNAM). From 2024 onwards, the thematic issue of the
journal publishes research articles that contribute to the study
of visual art and history in relation to Lithuanian and world
culture. The journal’s supplements may include extended
reviews of publications, presentations of LNDM exhibitions
or expositions, essays or artistic research on the topic, as well
as various documents relevant to the research activities of
visual culture.
The authors of this first publication analyse amber as an important
element of one or another political order, and as a symbol of
the nation or its people.It was also interesting to look
at the enterprises run by seaside populations and how they
came about, especially relating to the amber collection and
processing tradition. It was revealed in this article “The entrepreneurship of the seaside
population that became a part of the national identity. Producers
of amber goods in Palanga in the second half of the 19th – first
half of the 20th centuries”.

The article discusses graves in the Carpathian Basin that contain the skulls, legs or other remains of flayed sheep. Based on the distribution of the phenomenon, the burials of the Early and Middle-Late Avar periods can clearly be distinguished from each other. In the Carpathian Basin, burials with sheepskins concentrated east of the Tisza River in the Early Avar Period and reflect connections to the Eastern European steppe. After the mid-600s, the phenomenon became common in a much wider area and the method of flaying also changed.


A cikk azokat a Kárpát-medencei sírokat tárgyalja, amelyekben különleges módon megnyúzott juhok koponyáját, lábát vagy egyéb maradványait találták meg. A jelenség térbeli elterjedése alapján egyértelműen elkülönülnek egymástól a korai, illetve a középső-késő avar kori temetkezések. A juhbőrmelléklet adás szokása a kora avar korban a Kárpát-medencében a Tiszától keletre koncentrálódott és a kelet-európai sztyeppével való kapcsolatokat tükrözi. A 600-as évek közepét követően a juhbőrös temetkezések a Kárpát-medence sokkal szélesebb területén váltak általánossá. Emellett a nyúzás módja is megváltozott a korábbi technikákhoz képest.

Rutigliano è nota soprattutto per i rinvenimenti di contrada Purgatorio che hanno portato alla luce una ricca e vasta necropoli (oltre 450 tombe), le cui testimonianze possono essere considerate, senza dubbio, tra le più ricche della Puglia centrale. Si distinguono i ritrovamenti effettuati nel 1976-1977 che hanno permesso il recupero di 131 sepolture di straordinaria ricchezza, databili tra il VII e il IV secolo a.C., con corredi che hanno restituito centinaia di vasi ateniesi e italioti, bronzi etruschi e greci, ornamenti in ambra e in metallo prezioso, certamente riferibili a personaggi di spicco posti ai vertici della comunità.
Il volume offre un panorama preliminare relativo ai monili in ambra e agli oggetti di prestigio restituiti dalle tombe di contrada Purgatorio e presenta un quadro arricchito da approfondimenti e da nuovi elementi, rispetto alle prime informazioni comunicate da F.G. Lo Porto durante i Convegni sulla Magna Grecia del 1976 e del 1977. Sono inseriti monili in ambra meno noti e contesti altrimenti inediti, ai quali si aggiunge il catalogo di alcuni complessi funerari, conservati da quasi cinquanta anni nei depositi della Soprintendenza Nazionale per il Patrimonio Subacqueo a Taranto. Queste analisi permettono di acquisire indicazioni di notevole importanza per la comprensione degli usi e dei costumi relativi alle genti peucezie di contrada Purgatorio.

This paper aims to present the data concerning the identification of material and know-how originating from eastern Mediterranean in Corsica through Middle Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC) and Final Bronze Age (1200-800 C). In this island, the question of the presence of Aegean elements was, for a long time, associated to a theory involving a foreign-born population, the Shardana, a group mentioned amongst the famous Sea Peoples. After the abandonment of these historic-factual constructions, the insular archaeological research became associated with the analysis of the sociocultural character of insular groups from the Bronze Age, without trying to connect them to the cultural dynamics from Eastern Mediterranean. After three decades of scientific introspection, it seems important to propose an updated inventory on this specific issue. The relations between the Aegean and Near-Eastern areas are documented today by several discoveries, reconsiderations of objects and specific analyses made o...

This paper aims to present the data concerning the identification of material and know-how originating from eastern Mediterranean in Corsica through Middle Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC) and Final Bronze Age (1200-800 C). In this island, the question of the presence of Aegean elements was, for a long time, associated to a theory involving a foreign-born population, the Shardana, a group mentioned amongst the famous Sea Peoples. After the abandonment of these historic-factual constructions, the insular archaeological research became associated with the analysis of the sociocultural character of insular groups from the Bronze Age, without trying to connect them to the cultural dynamics from Eastern Mediterranean. After three decades of scientific introspection, it seems important to propose an updated inventory on this specific issue. The relations between the Aegean and Near-Eastern areas are documented today by several discoveries, reconsiderations of objects and specific analyses made o...

Resumen: En este artículo se abordan tejidos sociales y culturas que se están formando a la par de y por las transformaciones de la economía política capitalista contemporánea. Para llevar a cabo dicho análisis y reflexión teórica recurrimos al estudio del espacio temporalizado de una cosa y/o mercancía: el ámbar. ésta es una resina de origen orgánico resultado del proceso de fosilización después de haber sido exudada por la corteza del árbol o el corazón de la madera. El espacio analizado en este trabajo se refiere al desplazamiento y desempeño de la resina desde su lugar de origen hasta llegar a uno de los mercados de piedras de color más grande del mundo: el Tucson Gem Show, de alcances globales, que anualmente y durante el mes de febrero se lleva a cabo en la ciudad de Tucson, Arizona.

Canada has raised questions concerning the deposit site sources for this highly traded material. Objects found at one site may have originated elsewhere, thus, the accurate characterisation of amber could aid in establishing trade. In this investigation, 12 distinct amber specimens from 11 deposit sites in Canada were studied in order to determine their subclass and other distinguishing chemical features. The ambers were analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) in combination with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), using a thermal separation probe (TSP) to perform the pyrolysis and sample introduction. Analysis of the amber from the 11 deposits in Canada showed that they represent three different classes: Class Ib (based on regular-labdanes), Class Ic and Class Id (both based on enantio-labdanes). Different forms were found within the Class Ib and Ic ambers, based on the presence and absence of self-crosslinking and free succinic acid. The techniques identified polymeric crosslinking in three subclasses. These include self-crosslinking of communol and communic acid moieties in two Class Ib (form 2) ambers, self-crosslinking of ozol and ozic acid moieties in one Class Ic (form 2) amber and succinylation of the Class Id ambers. Other important characteristics were discovered, including the presence of free succinic acid in six Class Ib (form 1) ambers and one Class Ic (form 1) amber, the presence of diagenetic analogues of both dehydroabietic acid and callitrisic acid in all Class Ib (form 1) ambers, and the attachment of non-polymerisable terpenoids to the macromolecular structures of two Class Ib ambers and one Class Id amber. Amber beads recovered from three Thule sites in the Canadian arctic were characterised and compared to the 12 reference specimens. The beads from site TkAu-1 (Ellesmere Island) were found to originate from the local deposit at Lake Hazen. However, beads from the QeJu-1 (Cornwallis Island) and OkRn-1 (Banks Island) sites closely matched amber specimens from the major deposit at Cedar Lake (Manitoba). This may indicate movement of the Cedar Lake amber to the arctic via trade.

This paper aims to present the data concerning the identification of material and know-how originating from eastern Mediterranean in Corsica through Middle Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC) and Final Bronze Age (1200-800 C). In this island, the question of the presence of Aegean elements was, for a long time, associated to a theory involving a foreign-born population, the Shardana, a group mentioned amongst the famous Sea Peoples. After the abandonment of these historic-factual constructions, the insular archaeological research became associated with the analysis of the sociocultural character of insular groups from the Bronze Age, without trying to connect them to the cultural dynamics from Eastern Mediterranean. After three decades of scientific introspection, it seems important to propose an updated inventory on this specific issue. The relations between the Aegean and Near-Eastern areas are documented today by several discoveries, reconsiderations of objects and specific analyses made o...

https://hal.science/hal-03970323v1
Abstract: The excavation, in situ and in laboratory, of three Middle Bronze Age hoards discovered in 2011 in the alluvial plain of the Oise at Ribécourt-Dreslincourt (Oise) has provided the opportunity to reflect on these particular Bronze Age sites.
The three hoards (F28, F29 and F36) were buried at one end of a small triangular area. Each hoard is located near a post-hole this disposition has never been observed in France until now. The hoards are unusual as they include objects made from materials such as gold, amber, glass and bronze and some of the objects themselves are unique. They include a hammer with its twisted decoration, a pin with two large discs and a gold disc. The Baltic origin of the amber from hoard F36 is of particular interest (a prestigious material) as well as the nodules of raw material. The variety of objects
should be underlined as they fall into four functional categories: weaponry (two daggers), tools (two axes and a hammer), ornaments (eleven bracelets, a pin, three torques, twenty-seven elements strung on a probable necklace) and the gold disc (perhaps a ritual object). Some of these objects appear to have had little or no use, while others are clearly used. Also of note is the presence of miscasts.
The disposition of the objects show rarely observed gestures. In the case of hoard F29, the axe is buried vertically, cutting edge upwards, this disposition is unique for a hoard in a land context. For hoard F28, the stringing of six bracelets on the handle of a dagger stuck vertically into the base of the feature is noteworthy. Concerning hoard F36, the most significant object arrangement is a compact pile of artefacts stacked in the middle of the pit, including a bent pin (36.38) enclosing four bracelets (36.34 to 37) as well as a twisted torque (36.33), itself bent and broken into three fragments.
We have also observed pre-depositional manipulations. The state of the objects at the time of their burial is variable: all are complete, but five were manipulated before being deposited. In addition to the cluster of objects described above, the dagger 36.26, which is missing the two rivets that hold its handle, may have been dismantled before burial, while the gold disc, a bipartite object, is missing its bronze support.
Hoards F28 and 36A have a particular disposition with an intermediate layer devoid of objects. This could be due to the presence of organic material that has now disappeared or because the pit containing the hoard was reopened at a later date in order to deposit a new set of objects on top. The addition of items could have been planned from the outset as with the multi-phased hoards of Grunty Fen (Cambridgeshire, UK) and Spaxton (Somerset, UK). Objects from the Ribécourt-Dreslincourt hoards, suggest that the three are contemporary, which does not imply that the deposits were simultaneous. The timeline could extend over a century according to the typochronological coherence of the objects. The Ribécourt-Dreslincourt hoards are attributed to the Atlantic Middle Bronze Age 2. The annular ornaments are quite characteristic of this period, as are the palstaves. Although the typology of the other objects is less obvious, it does not contradict this chronological positioning. Radiocarbon analysis also confirms this date (1442-1302 cal BC). The hoards belong to the rather rare category in the Atlantic area of multi-type hoards that bring together different objects, as is the case for the Villers-sur-Authie (Somme) hoard, now disappeared, or the Wylye (Wiltshire, UK) and Hollingbury Hill (Sussex, UK) hoards. The typology of the annular ornaments from the Ribécourt-Dreslincourt hoards shows that the objects come from different areas, the south-east of England, the Armorican Massif, as well as the lower and middle basins of the Seine and Somme rivers. We can also draw a direct parallel between the 36.36 bracelet and anklets from graves in the Lüneburg region (Lower Saxony), or from Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. Comparisons for the pin lead us to southern Germany and Switzerland, while the gold disc is similar to objects from the Nordic Bronze Age area (Denmark, northern Germany and the British Isles). The hoards’ composition sheds light on the movement of individuals,
objects and ideas between the south of England and the north of France, but also on relations with other more distant regions (Germany, Switzerland), whereas the amber and glass refer to the Baltic and the Near East regions. To conclude, the fact that posts originally marked the Ribécourt-Dreslincourt hoards shows an underlying intention to
make these hoards visible, they were not buried to be concealed. This ostentatious dimension goes hand in hand with the intention of sacralising particular places where interventions subsequent to the deposits would have taken place.

X a. rytinėje Baltijos jūros pakrantėje gyvenusios gentys pereina į naują gerokai aktyvesnės ūkinės-ekonominės raidos etapą. Tyrinėtojai pastebi atsiradus žen­ klius pokyčius piliakalnių ir gyvenviečių inventoriuje, ka­ pų radiniuose (Kulikauskas, Kulikauskienė, Tautavičius, 1961, p. 360-519, Volkaitė-Kulikauskienė, 1970, p. 4 5 119, Lietuvių, 1971, p . 4-13, Volkaitė-Kulikauskienė, 1987, p. 183-184). Piliakalniuose aptinkamos svirnų lie­ kanos su gausiomis grūdų atsargomis, net 90-95 proc. visų randamų maistui vartotų gyvulių naminiai, aptin­ kami kur kas tobulesni žemės dirbimo įrankiai. Kalviai gamino iš geresnės kokybės plieno ginklus kalavijus, kovos kirvius, ietigalius. Gaminiai įvairėjo, atsirado ir anksčiau nevartotų buities daiktų spynų, raktų, kab­ lių. Dideli pokyčiai ir juvelyrikoje. Pagausėjo papuoša­ lų, jie gaminami naudojant įvairesnę gamybos techniką, be jau įprasto baltų kraštams geometrinio ornamento, įsigali gyvulinis bei augalinis. Šiuo laikotarpiu pastebimi ir ...

This paper aims to present the data concerning the identification of material and know-how originating from eastern Mediterranean in Corsica through Middle Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC) and Final Bronze Age (1200-800 C). In this island, the question of the presence of Aegean elements was, for a long time, associated to a theory involving a foreign-born population, the Shardana, a group mentioned amongst the famous Sea Peoples. After the abandonment of these historic-factual constructions, the insular archaeological research became associated with the analysis of the sociocultural character of insular groups from the Bronze Age, without trying to connect them to the cultural dynamics from Eastern Mediterranean. After three decades of scientific introspection, it seems important to propose an updated inventory on this specific issue. The relations between the Aegean and Near-Eastern areas are documented today by several discoveries, reconsiderations of objects and specific analyses made o...

This paper aims to present the data concerning the identification of material and know-how originating from eastern Mediterranean in Corsica through Middle Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC) and Final Bronze Age (1200-800 C). In this island, the question of the presence of Aegean elements was, for a long time, associated to a theory involving a foreign-born population, the Shardana, a group mentioned amongst the famous Sea Peoples. After the abandonment of these historic-factual constructions, the insular archaeological research became associated with the analysis of the sociocultural character of insular groups from the Bronze Age, without trying to connect them to the cultural dynamics from Eastern Mediterranean. After three decades of scientific introspection, it seems important to propose an updated inventory on this specific issue. The relations between the Aegean and Near-Eastern areas are documented today by several discoveries, reconsiderations of objects and specific analyses made o...

Podstawowe znaczenie dla studiów nad dziejami Celtów – jednego z najważniejszych ludów barbarzyńskich starożytnej Europy, oraz nad ich wysoko rozwiniętą kulturą nasyconą wpływami cywilizacji śródziemnomorskich, mają odkrycia archeologiczne. Źródła dotyczące celtyckiej historii są na tyle lakoniczne w swojej wymowie, że co najwyżej uzupełniają i ubarwiają obserwacje archeologów prowadzone systematycznie od ponad 100 lat. Archeologia odgrywa szczególną rolę w rekonstrukcji dziejów Celtów zamieszkujących na północ od Karpat i Sudetów, praktycznie nie zauważonych przez historiografów antycznych. Obszerna monografia Michała Grygiela zaznajamia Czytelnika z zaledwie niewielkim wycinkiem tej przebogatej wiedzy dotyczącym odłamu Celtów zamieszkujących nad górną Wisłą. Autor jednak bynajmniej nie zawęża przy tym swojego spojrzenia, ale w szeroko prowadzonej dyskusji sięga do najdalszych zakątków Celtyki, kreśląc niezbędne tło dla zaobserwowanych przez siebie zjawisk w zachodniej Małopolsce. Warto przy tym zauważyć, że zabieg ten z jednej strony znakomicie wprowadza Czytelnika w ducha epoki, z drugiej zaś nadaje głębokiego znaczenia różnorodnym i skomplikowanym w interpretacji faktom archeologicznym. Ukazana została w ten sposób przekonywująco niezwykła rola jaką odegrała maleńka populacja celtycka zamieszkująca w okolicach Krakowa, dysponująca własnym pieniądzem i stanowiąca ważne ogniwo łańcucha dalekosiężnych powiązań w obrębie świata barbarzyńskiego.

Šiame straipsnyje pristatysime Akvilėjos miestą, esantį Caput Adriae pa kran tė je, jo augimą ir reikšmę Romos imperijos laikotarpiu. Tai buvo vienas didžiausių Romos imperijos miestų ir svarbiausias gintaro apdirbimo centras. Gintaro žaliava iš tolimoje šiaurėje esančios Baltijos jūros pakrantės į Po slėnyje ir toliau Apeninų pusiasalyje įsikūrusias dirbtuves atkeliaudavo Gintaro keliu prekeivių tarpininkų dėka (1 il.) 1. Akvilėjos meistrai iš gintaro kūrė aukštos kokybės gaminius, skirtus puoštis, taip pat amuletus, kurie, to meto žmonių įsitikinimu, saugojo juos nuo blogio ar ligų.

Professor Ryszard Szadziewski’s adventure with entomology started in 1968 with his participation in the “Wielka Gra” (The Great Game) Polish TV 1 game show. With his mathematics and physics background and mind, he took a part in this contest as an amateur (it was one of the rules of the show). Even though he did not win this contest, he won entomology as a passion and profession.

Wiesław Krzemiński was born on 26 October 1948, in Oświęcim, south of Poland. In his youth he was an addicted book reader and developed his love for nature. After few years of playing in a big beat band he eventually focused on biology. Currently, he is a full time Professor and works in the Institute of Systematics and Evolution Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków (ISEA PAS) and the Pedagogical University in Kraków.

Following a mailbox of comments concerning a letter sent by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology to journal editors on “Fossils from conflict zones...” dated 21 April 2020 calling for a ban on publications on Burmese amber, it was felt necessary to air some concerns raised for further discussion.

This paper aims to present the data concerning the identification of material and know-how originating from eastern Mediterranean in Corsica through Middle Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC) and Final Bronze Age (1200-800 C). In this island, the question of the presence of Aegean elements was, for a long time, associated to a theory involving a foreign-born population, the Shardana, a group mentioned amongst the famous Sea Peoples. After the abandonment of these historic-factual constructions, the insular archaeological research became associated with the analysis of the sociocultural character of insular groups from the Bronze Age, without trying to connect them to the cultural dynamics from Eastern Mediterranean. After three decades of scientific introspection, it seems important to propose an updated inventory on this specific issue. The relations between the Aegean and Near-Eastern areas are documented today by several discoveries, reconsiderations of objects and specific analyses made o...

The article considers the issue of research in domestic science of archeological monuments, the so-called, late nomads in the XIX–XX centuries. Based on existing sources, the authors identified its main stages and most characteristic features. In particular, it is determined that the first such attempts were made in the pre-revolutionary period and they marked the beginning of the study of nomadic peoples of the tenth-fourteenth centuries and the accumulation of scientific knowledge about them. Later, these studies received a new lease of life. Thus, thanks to the success of domestic archeology in the 1960s – 1970s, the first generalizing works were published, among which the monograph of G. A. Fedorov-Davydov, who first divided the monuments of the late nomads into certain dated chronological blocks. These studies have been continued in the works of other scientists. Among them, it should be noted the famous researcher S.A. Pletnev. which for the first time defined the main feature...

Professor Ryszard Szadziewski’s adventure with entomology started in 1968 with his participation in the “Wielka Gra” (The Great Game) Polish TV 1 game show. With his mathematics and physics background and mind, he took a part in this contest as an amateur (it was one of the rules of the show). Even though he did not win this contest, he won entomology as a passion and profession.

Abstrakt. The paper presents the historical overview of the mining of Baltic amber deposits in Pomerania (Poland) and Sambia (Russia). The first attempt to extract amber commissioned by the Duke of Prussia Frederick William took place on the coast of Sambia, in the mid-dle of the 17 th century. The first successful attempt to build an underground mine was in the 18 th century. In 1781 permission for the construc-tion of mine in the village of Sinjavino (Sambia) was granted. The amber came from pocket deposits of the brown-coal formation. The mine had been operated for 24 years. Amber mining developed rapidly in the 19 th century and the beginning of the 20 th century. Geological resarch carried out between 1850 and 1869 by Zaddach initiated a process of qualitative and quantitative changes in amber technology and production. Mines were set up based on geological identification provided by geologists. The operation was taken over by larger companies in 1870. Having the greatest profi...

This paper aims to present the data concerning the identification of material and know-how originating from eastern Mediterranean in Corsica through Middle Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC) and Final Bronze Age (1200-800 C). In this island, the question of the presence of Aegean elements was, for a long time, associated to a theory involving a foreign-born population, the Shardana, a group mentioned amongst the famous Sea Peoples. After the abandonment of these historic-factual constructions, the insular archaeological research became associated with the analysis of the sociocultural character of insular groups from the Bronze Age, without trying to connect them to the cultural dynamics from Eastern Mediterranean. After three decades of scientific introspection, it seems important to propose an updated inventory on this specific issue. The relations between the Aegean and Near-Eastern areas are documented today by several discoveries, reconsiderations of objects and specific analyses made o...

The research was done at Aleksandras Stulginskis University (Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy since 2019) in 2015–2016. Tea blends were made from naturally occurring herbs and berries. The berries for blends were lyophilized and the medicinal plants were dried. The tea blends were filled with water at 90°C and extracted for 15 and 30 min, the infusions were filtered and then analysed. The purpose of the research was to determine the biochemical parameters and organoleptic properties of tea infusions extracted at different times using conventional and holistic research methods. The amount of soluble solids, vitamin C, titratable acidity, pH, redox potential, specific electrical conductivity and energy value (P) of the products were determined in the tea infusions. The values of the tea infusions colour coordinates (L*, a*, b*) were determined and sensory analysis was performed. The research results showed that the amounts of soluble solids and vitamin C were greater in ...

The study of what is known as the Amber Road has a long tradition in Poland and few others countries, as Lithuania. It seems that this concept is now well-rooted in Polish literature, not only archaeological and historical, but also in works of fiction, one may say, in culture at large. Obviously, at times, its popular perception is quite far removed from scientific findings nevertheless, in the archaeology of the Barbaricum it will continue as one of the leading subjects of research. Definitely the study of the Amber Road has been influenced immensely by Jerzy Wielowiejski. The entire series of his analyses, pivotal for the archaeology of the Roman Period in Europe, had set the tone for the modern inquiry into the trade exchange between the Empire and the barbarians (Wielowiejski, 1960; 1970; 1980; 1996). We could cite here not only Wielowiejski’s publications concerned specifically with the route itself but also, excellent analyses of individual categories of imported Roman object...

Romėniškojo laikotarpio pradžioje (I a. – II a. pradžioje) bendruomenių mainų sistemoje gintaras vis dar buvo viena iš tų paklausių prekių, kurios troško Antikos pasaulis. Rašytinių šaltinių liudijimai bei archeologinės medžiagos tyrimai parodo didelę gintaro vertę, paklausą Vidurio ir Pietų Europos regionuose, bet baltiškuosiuose laidojimo paminkluose jo randama itin mažai arba visai nėra. Pasikeitusi gintaro įkapių gausa baltiškuosiuose Vakarų Lietuvos kapų su akmenų vainikais kultūros kapinynuose II a. 2-ojoje pusėje – III a. (B2/C1, C1a periodai), kai gintaro dirbiniai pradėti dėti į kapus pereinamuoju iš Ankstyvojo į Vėlyvąjį romėniškąjį laikotarpiu, skatina į gintaro temą laidojimo paminkluose pažvelgti atidžiau. Juo labiau kad šie pokyčiai pastebimi ne tik Vakarų Lietuvos kapų su akmenų vainikais kultūros kapinynuose, bet ir kitose baltiškose kultūrose. Šio ryškaus pasikeitimo kontekste istoriografijoje lieka mažai gvildentas klausimas apie Vakarų Lietuvos kapų su akmenų vain...

FINAL 2023 update to replace in around 360 pages the existing excessively long "The Veneti Language..." which is close to 1000 pages and some say with too many side topics and repetition and hard to read. It continues to document my improvement of the results in the deciphering and reconstruction of the ancient Venetic Language that is presented in the ancient inscriptions on objects in the Veneto region of Northern Italy.

In his dissertation which he submitted in 2004 Ulf Vierke explores the route of glass beads from their European production sites in Upper Franconia and Northern Bohemia to the Maasai in East Africa. A route that sometimes even brings the beads – transformed into souvenirs – back to Europe. But not the beads themselves are the centre of his research focus but the actors dealing with them: the manufactures, the industrial producers, the merchants in Europe and Africa, the women crafting the beadwork and the ones wearing the beadwork. Thus he focuses on agency and the vitality of an ongoing story. Appropriation and assignment are the key concepts. The former referring to discourses about globalisation, the latter is introduced by the author to complement the slanted view on exchange. The act of appropriation on consumer side always requires the complementary act of assignment on the side of producer or merchant. Inspired by Sidney Mintz’s classical 1985 book “Sweetness and Power” Vierk...

Women and War in Premodern Baltic Societies -----
The role of women in Prehistoric Baltic societies has so far received relatively little attention. As for the Balts (east Baltic tribes), they have hardly been studied in this respect at all. The paper deals with aspects of warfare involving east Baltic women, fragmentary as they might be,
based on archaeological data and written source material. The authors analyse archaeological data, asking if it might help to reveal whether there were any female warriors in ancient Baltic societies (this can be done by analysing grave goods and anthropological features of human
remains found in graves). Investigations of female remains sometimes also reveal traces of violent traumas, potentially related to or even directly caused by war. The article also analyses Medieval written sources describing the role of east Baltic women in military conflicts.
Although they are very scarce and do not provide clear answers, some rare and unique cases featuring female activity in military society reveal the importance of their role in tribal decision-making.

Two graves, with altogether four skeletons, discovered near Pecica and buried in W–E orientation, offer us the possibility of a more nuanced analysis of the cultural realities of the groups of people living in the Trans-Tisza region in the 6 th and 7th centuries. However, the amber and earring finds allow us to contemplate communication networks in the early Avar Age and their significant transformation by the late Avar period. Placing these transformations in the first half of the 7th century, they explain the appearance of some rare goods, like ambers, in the region of Pecica.

Key words: adiponectin, type 2 diabetes, prediabetic states, central obesity Objectives. To evaluate adiponectin level in subjects with impaired glucose metabolism (pre-diabetes or newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes) and to compare it with adiponectin levels in obese and non-obese healthy subjects. We also aimed to evaluate associations of adiponectin level with demographic data, anthropometric measures, indices of insulin resistance and glucose metabolism and compare these associations in healthy subjects and patients with impaired glucose metabolism. Materials and methods. � e study included 33 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects, 48 individuals with impaired glucose tolerance and / or impaired fasting glucose and 68 healthy subjects. Healthy subjects were divided into obese and non-obese subgroups. � e evaluation involved a full medical history and physical examination, including anthropometric measurements: height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, skin folds thic...

Vadinamojo Gintaro kelio tyrimai Lenkijoje turi senas tradi­cijas. Šio kelio supratimas yra įsitvirtinęs lenkiškoje litera­tūroje (ne tik archeologinėje ir istorinėje), taip pat bendroje kultūroje. Kartais šis supratimas yra gerokai nutolęs nuo mokslo teiginių. Gintaro kelio Barbaricumo archeologijos tyrimai dar ilgai bus viena svarbiausių krypčių. Be abejo, Gintaro kelio tyrinėjimams didžiulę įtaką pa­darė J. Wielowiejskis. Jo svarbių romėniškajam laikotarpiui veikalų serija turėjo įtakos naujausiems prekybos ryšių tarp Romos imperijos ir barbarų genčių tyrinėjimams. Čia gali­ma paminėti ne tik jo publikacijas, skirtas betarpiškai keliui, bet ir darbus, nagrinėjančius atskiras romėniškojo importo rūšis, romanizacijos problemas. Po prof. J. Wielowiejskio darbų paskelbta kitų archeologų ir istorikų publikacijų, tai­kant jo metodiką. Pirmiausia reikia sutelkti dėmesį į Gintaro kelio funkci­onavimą Romos imperijos laikais ir pareikšti keletą pastabų dėl tolesnių tyrimų perspektyvos. 19...

Vadinamojo Gintaro kelio tyrimai Lenkijoje turi senas tradi­cijas. Šio kelio supratimas yra įsitvirtinęs lenkiškoje litera­tūroje (ne tik archeologinėje ir istorinėje), taip pat bendroje kultūroje. Kartais šis supratimas yra gerokai nutolęs nuo mokslo teiginių. Gintaro kelio Barbaricumo archeologijos tyrimai dar ilgai bus viena svarbiausių krypčių. Be abejo, Gintaro kelio tyrinėjimams didžiulę įtaką pa­darė J. Wielowiejskis. Jo svarbių romėniškajam laikotarpiui veikalų serija turėjo įtakos naujausiems prekybos ryšių tarp Romos imperijos ir barbarų genčių tyrinėjimams. Čia gali­ma paminėti ne tik jo publikacijas, skirtas betarpiškai keliui, bet ir darbus, nagrinėjančius atskiras romėniškojo importo rūšis, romanizacijos problemas. Po prof. J. Wielowiejskio darbų paskelbta kitų archeologų ir istorikų publikacijų, tai­kant jo metodiką. Pirmiausia reikia sutelkti dėmesį į Gintaro kelio funkci­onavimą Romos imperijos laikais ir pareikšti keletą pastabų dėl tolesnių tyrimų perspektyvos. 19...

Resinous artifacts, including amber, are one of the more common precious and useful materials found in archaeological sites in the ancient Near East. Amber was obtained by these civilizations from long-distance trade, and was seen as a precious gem. Other resins, often found locally, were used as incense, adhesives, and personal adornment among other things, oftentimes used by both the lower and the upper classes alike. Resins, however, have not been extensively studied in the Near East. By analyzing resin artifacts from eleven different sites, this study focuses on a comparison among the resins found at these chosen Near Eastern sites to understand any area-or culture-specific trends in resin quality, use, color, clarity, craftsmanship, size, and shape. Through statistical analysis of over 300 different samples, there are indeed clear-cut trends of resin characteristics and use present at certain sites. The trends provide a foundation upon which all resinous artifacts in the Near East can be analyzed. These resinous artifacts and the characteristics which link them to certain sites can give archaeologists a basis on which to further examine other similar precious artifacts. It is possible through studying these resin traits that with chemical analysis their origin and family of plant can be uncovered, leading to studies of ancient resin-gathering and trade routes. With the conclusions reached from this study, there is potential to create a basis of comparison between several Near Eastern sites and their use of precious goods, specifically resinous goods as status markers, trade items, or pieces of material culture with everyday functions.

El antiguo asentamiento de Chiapa de Corzo mantuvo un papel preponderante en la Depresión Central de Chiapas desde épocas muy tempranas, alrededor de 1200 a.C., hasta su abandono y reubicación a finales del periodo Clásico. El análisis de diversas evidencias arqueológicas, que incluyen datos sobre la arquitectura, los monumentos esculpidos, la cerámica, los artefactos y las costumbres funerarias, hacen posible trazar el desarrollo de este sitio y su importancia como una de las  capitales prehispánicas de los grupos de filiación cultural zoque. Su ubicación privilegiada en la parte occidental del Istmo de Tehuantepec, que controlaba una de las principales rutas entre la costa y las tierras altas, le permitió mantener relaciones con otras regiones del sur de Mesoamérica a lo largo de muchos siglos.
La intención de esta obra consiste en destacar la importancia del área cultural mixe-zoqueana a través del análisis diacrónico del sitio de Chiapa de Corzo, así como su relación fronteriza con otras culturas, como los olmecas o los mayas. A pesar de todos los cambios y destrucciones que ha sufrido, desde finales de la época prehispánica, pasando por la ocupación colonial y la expansión de la ciudad moderna, ha sido posible rescatar información que permite reconstruir una imagen más certera del surgimiento, desarrollo y reocupación de este importante centro regional a lo largo del tiempo.

Amber discs with cross decoration are the research subject of this article. The article discusses their proliferation, typology and chronology. The amber disc from the Daktariškė 5 settlement is analysed in greater detail: its decoration, the number of holes, regularities, spectral analysis and possible symbolic meanings are discussed.

https://edition-topoi.org/book/1598-vom-kuenstlichen-stein-zum-durchsichtigen-massenprodukt/ 
In diesem Beitrag wird der Kenntnisstand zu verschiedenen Objektgruppen in Italien wie Fayence- und Glasperlen, Fayence-Knöpfen und importierten Fayenceobjekten aus dem östlichen Mittelmeerraum referiert. Dabei wird versucht, die jeweilige Argumentation für oder gegen lokale Herstellung darzulegen und die Ergebnisse der chemischen Analysen bei der Beurteilung der verschiedenen gläsernen Materialien einzubeziehen. Folgend wird der endbronzezeitliche Produktionsort Frattesina vorgestellt und ein Ausblick auf die Möglich- keiten der Glasforschung zur Villanovazeit gegeben.

Import of weapons came to the steppes in various ways. One of them was to pass on as diplomatic gifts that testified about the concluded covenants and emphasized the status and prestige of the donors and the donees. Such a ceremonial weapon was made to order at the rulers' court, often taking into account nomads’ sense of aesthetic. Another way of transfer was the purchase. Therefore, in border areas and near riverbanks, craft settlements were created. They often specialized in the production of weapons preferred by nomads. In addition, part of the collected weapons was undoubtedly the spoil of war.
The main centers of production and delivery of weapons for nomads were Ruthenia, Volga  Bulgaria, Caucasus, Byzantine, Central and Western Asia. Weapons from the Baltics and Western Europe territories were less likely to reach the Black Sea steppes.
A ceremonial weapon, buried in the grave, was not only meant to testify to the bravery and prestige of its owner but also indicated a warrior's social position and military rank. Also, funeral rites, related to the preparation of the deceased for the journey into the afterlife, in community awareness were to emphasize the ethos of the horse warrior.