Stikliniai geriamieji stalo indai Klaipėdos pilyje XV-XVII amžiais

Abstract

This study is a presentation and an overview of glassware finds discovered during archaeological excavations at the castle site of Klaipėda between the years 1976 and 2014. More specifically, this article considers drinking glasses which up until now have not received much attention from archaeologists. There were only 20 units of mouth-blown glass artefacts identified from the archaeological reports and from the archives of the History Museum of Lithuania Minor. These were glass vessels used for drinking (mostly beer or wine). Remaining fragments of drinking glasses from the site of Klaipėda castle were either very poorly preserved or discovered in chronologically unreliable layers. First appearance of glass vessels at Klaipėda castle was associated with the history of alcoholic beverages, while these were closely related to the development of dining culture, customs and dietary habits. According to known archaeological data from the castle site, glass vessels first appear in Klaipėda during the early phases of town’s development in the 15th century. Unfortunately glass artefacts, dated to the time of Teutonic Order s rule in Prussia, are rarely found in archaeological layers. Analysis of known archaeological data revealed that, during the beginning of the period between the 15th and 16th centuries, the prevailing glass vessel types were beakers with foot and pedestal beakers. These types of vessels were used for drinking both beer and wine. There are very few finds known from the castle site which date to the period between the second half of the 16th and the 17th century. Some of the identified fragments were attributed to glassware style known as Berkemeyer. While one fragment was from a vessel made in the style of Faęon de Venice.Overview of glassware finds from Klaipėda castle and their comparison with archaeological data (dated to the same time period) from the Lower Castle of Vilnius, allow for a conclusion that everyday dining at the castle of Klaipėda was practical rather than pretentious or luxurious. Therefore, glassware finds were interpreted as a mere hint of the fine dining culture.