Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles by Justina Kozakaitė
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2021
In the summer of 2019, members of the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University were summoned by ... more In the summer of 2019, members of the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University were summoned by the diocese of Telšiai to carry out an investigation of the mortal remains of Juozapas Arnulfas Giedraitis and Simonas Mykolas Giedraitis, two high religious dignitaries entombed in the crypt of the parish of St Peter and St Paul, Apostles, at Varniai (Samogitia, Lithuania). The aim of the study was to confirm their identity, to obtain data for compiling an osteo-biographic profile, and to assess any manipulation of the bodies that resulted in their preservation. The remains concerned underwent anthropological, paleopathological, and archaeobotanical investigations, supplemented by a radiological analysis for the individual who displayed tissue mummification. There was evidence of bodily processing after death, which included internal organ removal, the use of specific plant species known to have antiseptic and disinfectant properties, as well as chemical preservatives. In combination with the available historic sources, this study aimed to provide a detailed bioarchaeological assessment to enrich our understanding of previously undocumented postmortem bodily treatments and preservation practices among these high-ranked Lithuanian clergymen.
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Scientific Reports, 2020
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Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
The aim of the research focuses on reconstructing diet of the seventeenth-eighteenth century Basi... more The aim of the research focuses on reconstructing diet of the seventeenth-eighteenth century Basilian monks who were buried in the crypt beneath the Holy Trinity Uniate Church in Vilnius, Lithuania. For this aim, stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope analyses of human bone collagen samples (n = 74, of which 39 yielded reliable isotopic data) were performed. In order to establish the isotopic dietary baseline for the Basilian monks, we sampled faunal bones (n = 47, of which 34 yielded reliable isotopic data) recovered during archaeological investigations in the area around the Vilnius Lower Castle and the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Faunal samples were comprised of various domestic and wild terrestrial animals, freshwater and anadromous fish, and migratory and non-migratory birds. In total, 121 human and faunal samples were analysed. The isotopic data collected in our study suggest that C 3 plant and domestic animal products were the main components in the diets of the Basilian monks, while freshwater fish played a noticeable, yet a much smaller dietary role. However, historical sources describe a reverse dietary picture, i.e. a higher dietary contribution from fish and a lower from animal products. The potential reasons for this incongruity between isotopic and historical dietary evidence were also explored. Finally, the isotopic data of the Basilian monks were compared with that of contemporary Lithuanian nobles and commoners. The comparisons indicate that monastic dietary patterns were more similar to those of the nobility than those of the commoners.
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The aim of this article was to describe the outcome of a probable case of physical abuse in the r... more The aim of this article was to describe the outcome of a probable case of physical abuse in the remains of a child dating from the 16th –18th centuries CE. The skeleton of a subadult was recovered during archaeological excavations carried out in the village of Užubaliai, located in Alytus in southern Lithuania, and subsequently curated in the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University. The bones of this child were observed macroscopically and then submitted for radiological investigation. In order to speculate on the presence of abuse, features such as the presence, quantity, and type of injuries were considered. Stages of healing and the occurrence of additional nonspecific stress markers, such as linear enamel hypoplasia or Harris lines, were also recorded. The remains revealed the presence of lesions showing three stages of healing, including antemortem and perimortem fractures. Periosteal reactions were also observed on many of the bones. Traumas with high specificity for abuse, such as rib and scapular fractures, were assessed. Finally, endocranial new bone formation was also noted as a possible sign of neglect. The pattern of observed injuries showed evidence that was compatible with a case of physical abuse.
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Papers by Justina Kozakaitė
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2023
This paper presents the first results of both dryland and underwater investigations at the multi-... more This paper presents the first results of both dryland and underwater investigations at the multi-period Garnys riverine site situated on the Žeimena River in eastern Lithuania. There, during 2017–2020 a professional diver and amateur archaeologist collected hundreds of Mesolithic-Neolithic archaeological finds made of wood, bone, antler, stone, and ceramic from the riverbed and on its bank. Moreover, in eroded places of the riverbed, the wooden remains of several fish weirs were observed. In 2021 professional archaeologists continued the research, including field investigations followed by various laboratory analyses. These included AMS 14C dating of 16 various ecofacts, artefacts and wooden constructions, wood and animal taxa determinations, and the results of traceological analysis of the flint and osseous artefacts. Our research demonstrates that the site was intensively used for hunting, gathering and fishing during the Mesolithic and subsequent Subneolithic and Neolithic. Intriguingly, there was no evidence for agriculture, while the numerous Neolithic ceramics largely follow the Subneolithic traditions. The Garnys site is therefore unique and a clear example for delayed Neolithisation in a forested and lacustrine area in the eastern Baltic region. During the Metal Ages, the site had been used exclusively for stationary fishing.
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Archaeologia Lituana, 2019
In 2014-2015, an unknown 16 th-17 th-century cemetery was discovered at the Subačius Street 41 pl... more In 2014-2015, an unknown 16 th-17 th-century cemetery was discovered at the Subačius Street 41 plot in Vilnius. The uncovered human remains are considered to be one of the most abundant and best-preserved anthropological material in the territory of present-day Vilnius. Paradoxically, historical sources do not mention this burial site, although the abundance of the interred individuals does not imply an accidental burial, but perhaps a functioning cemetery for some time. In such exceptional cases, the only source of information is the synthesis of archaeological and anthropological research data. This article presents preliminary results and a brief overview of bioarchaeological (demographic, paleopathological, and dental research, height reconstruction) investigation. A total of 151 individuals were studied, with almost half (45%) of them consisting of children. Almost 60% of the individuals had one or more pathological lesions. The average height of male individuals was estimated 168.2 cm, the average height of females was 157.8 cm. The aim of this study can be defined as twofold: an attempt to identify the people buried outside the city walls and systematize for the first time the bioarchaeological data of one-out-of-many Vilnius populations. Currently, the Subačius Street 41 population does not resemble a typical urban community, so the study itself is the first attempt to reveal the osteobiography of these 16 th-17 th century Vilnius residents.
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Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
Around 2900–2300 cal BCE, mobile stockbreeders introduced the Neolithic Corded Ware culture (CWC)... more Around 2900–2300 cal BCE, mobile stockbreeders introduced the Neolithic Corded Ware culture (CWC) into the Eastern Baltic. Here, a Central or Northern European Neolithic economy and ideology took hold despite differences in burial practices. Although around 90 CWC graves are known in the region their contents have not been intensively studied. Here, we present new AMS radiocarbon (14 C) measurements and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data obtained on human bone collagen, molecular and isotopic data obtained from ceramic beakers, and user-wear data of flint and bone tools from several CWC graves, Benaičiai, Biržai, Krasnasieĺski, Dakudava 5, and Drazdy 12, in Lithuania and Western Belarus. The bone collagen δ 13 C and δ 15 N stable isotope data are rather homogenous and demonstrate that the majority of consumed protein was derived from terrestrial resources. Organic residue analysis of two CWC beakers yielded lipids consistent with ruminant carcass and dairy fats, whilst use-wear analyses indicates that bone pins, flint blades and axes were used as grinders, functional tools or had been carefully renewed before deposition respectively.
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Journal of archaeological science: reports, 2018
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Lietuvos istorijos studijos, 2017
While bioarchaeological monastery researches draw substantial differences between the secular and... more While bioarchaeological monastery researches draw substantial differences between the secular and monastic lifestyles, the former injury rate indicates no shocking results. A relatively small number of fractures demonstrated that monks were not predisposed to injuries due to their specific lifestyle and daily activities. In 2015 and 2016, an archaeological investigation at The Holy Trinity church and its crypt revealed 17th–18th century burials belonging to the Basilian monks. These findings provided a unique opportunity to study the monastic lifestyle in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania based on the tendencies of trauma. Common rib fractures, violent injuries and high-energy trauma painted a vivid and unusual life picture of the 17th–18th century Basilian monastery of Vilnius.
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Within the framework of the Lithuanian Mummy Project, a scientific investigation of the mummified... more Within the framework of the Lithuanian Mummy Project, a scientific investigation of the mummified human
remains found in Lithuania, the authors of this paper attempted to gather as much information as
possible in order to promote and expand the knowledge about the corpses held in the crypt of the Dominican
Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius. The data collected enabled the history of the church and its burials
over the course of time to be reconstructed, providing an original and unique window into Lithuania’s past.
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Papers on Anthropology, 2014
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Book chapters by Justina Kozakaitė
Kultūrų kryžkelė: Vilniaus Švč. Trejybės šventovė ir vienuolynas, Vilnius, 2017, p. 224‒236
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Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles by Justina Kozakaitė
Papers by Justina Kozakaitė
remains found in Lithuania, the authors of this paper attempted to gather as much information as
possible in order to promote and expand the knowledge about the corpses held in the crypt of the Dominican
Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius. The data collected enabled the history of the church and its burials
over the course of time to be reconstructed, providing an original and unique window into Lithuania’s past.
Book chapters by Justina Kozakaitė
remains found in Lithuania, the authors of this paper attempted to gather as much information as
possible in order to promote and expand the knowledge about the corpses held in the crypt of the Dominican
Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius. The data collected enabled the history of the church and its burials
over the course of time to be reconstructed, providing an original and unique window into Lithuania’s past.
(EN) Crypts under churches are a characteristic feature of old Christian Europe and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Benefactors and sponsors of churches desired that spaces should be created under the sanctuaries to bury and honour the dead. Such spaces or their traces can be found in almost every old church. However, there are also exceptional cases. In 2016 and in 2017, the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, together with the Faculty of History of Vilnius University (Lithuania) and partners from Belarus, organized joint expeditions to the crypt of the Radziwiłł family in the Corpus Christi Church in Nesvizh. Historical, anthropological, heritage and other investigations were carried out. The aim of the website is to present the investigations carried out in the crypt under the Corpus Christi Church in Nesvizh in 2016 and 2017. Also, the very phenomenon of burial crypts, the peculiarities and history of their investigations, trends in their conservation and the conditions under which they may be exhibited are discussed (on the basis of Lithuania’s example). Knowledge of history and other related subjects is summed up, new discoveries and hypothesises are presented, reports and documents of research are provided, problems of the relative field are highlighted and good practices are presented on the website. These issues are presented through the prism of the researcher and the cultural heritage conservationists. Hence, the website might be interesting to researchers (anthropologists, archaeologists, historians, art critics and others) and to cultural heritage professionals as a methodical tool for students, as well as to the general public interested in the past and scientific discoveries.
ISBN 978-609-95835-0-1.