Medžių liekanos Baltijos jūros dugne: pirmieji tyrimų rezultatai

Abstract

In 2000-2002, specialists of the Laboratory of Submarine Researches of the Klaipeda University pursued archaeological investigations in the Lithuanian water area of the Baltic Sea. The research vessels "Nils Stromcrona" and "Altair" from Sweden as well as divers of the Lithuanian Marine Forces assisted in the investigations. During the expedition of 2002, three stumps of trees were found (in situ) on the bottom of the sea close to the Juodkrante settlement at a distance of 3.5 kilometres from the seashore at a depth of 27 metres (co-ordinates: latitude 55° 31.290' N; longitude 21° 02.350' E). Approximate measurements of the stumps: height 0.5-1.5 metres; diameter 0.4-1.0 metres; distance among them 6-8 metres. The dislocation of the stumps was video recorded. One root of a stump was cut for laboratory investigations at the Institute of Geology and Geography in Vilnius. According to anatomic investigations of the tree structure, they belongs to the pine (Pinus). The conventional radiocarbon age (14C) is 9160 ± 60 years BP and the calibrated age 8090 years EC (laboratory index: Vs-1372). According to these data, the trees grew on the Joldia Sea coast at the end of the Preboreal when the water level did not reach the mark of 30 metres below the present sea level. The obtained data are very important for palaeogeomor-phological reconstruction, for prospective marine geological and submarine archaeological investigations. Tree stumps of a big diameter are important objects also for dendroclimatochronological investigations.