New discoveries in Kukuliškiai reveal Bronze Age history

Archaeological excavations in Kukuliškiai, Lithuania, have unearthed significant findings that shed new light on the Bronze Age history of the region. This year's discoveries include fragments of residential buildings, a variety of wooden artifacts, bronze axe handles, pottery containing food remnants, wooden spatulas, fish and animal bones, a textile fragment, jewelry, and tools used for bronze smelting.

According to Miglė Urbonaitė-Ubė, the lead archaeologist from Klaipėda University, these findings indicate that Kukuliškiai was not an isolated settlement but an active participant in the Baltic Sea region's communities. "This year's research has given us a very clear answer – Kukuliškiai was inhabited not by an isolated community, but by active participants in the Baltic Sea region," Urbonaitė-Ubė stated. The unearthed jewelry, evidence of bronze processing, remnants of dwellings, food remains, and textile fragments allow for a detailed reconstruction of daily life, trade relations, and the high level of craftsmanship present.

Notably, Kukuliškiai has yielded the largest quantity of natural amber found in settlements across the entire Baltic Sea region. Urbonaitė-Ubė highlighted that this suggests amber was not only a part of the local inhabitants' daily lives but also a crucial commodity for trade. In exchange for amber, the community likely acquired bronze, which was then smelted and worked on-site.

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This year's research has given us a very clear answer – Kukuliškiai was inhabited not by an isolated community, but by active participants in the Baltic Sea region.

Laisvūnas Kavaliauskas, a senior specialist from the Klaipėda Territorial Department of the Cultural Heritage Department, believes Kukuliškiai holds exceptional importance not only for Lithuania but for Europe. "This is one of the rare Bronze Age settlements where so much organic material has been preserved – from building structures and wooden items to plant seeds, fruit remains, and traces of bronze processing," Kavaliauskas said. He added that such finds enable a comprehensive reconstruction of daily life in that era and expressed hope that future research could transform Kukuliškiai into a significant scientific site and a place for the public to experience a Bronze Age settlement through reconstructed structures and exhibits.

The Kukuliškiai hillfort and adjacent settlement are dated between 800 and 400 BC. Archaeological research in the area has been ongoing for seven seasons, consistently revealing valuable insights into the past.

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This is one of the rare Bronze Age settlements where so much organic material has been preserved – from building structures and wooden items to plant seeds, fruit remains, and traces of bronze processing.