Archeologija „su Lietuvos TSR istorijos katedros vėliava“

Kernavė Archaeological Site, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004, emerged as a pivotal research base for Vilnius University (VU) archaeology students during Soviet-era excavations. From 1979 to 1989, VU-led expeditions introduced students to fieldwork methods while conducting extensive investigations, including excavations at Maišiagala and Narkūnai hillforts. These efforts laid the groundwork for the establishment of the State Archaeology and History Reserve in 1989. The study highlights how limited resources during the Soviet period—despite producing only 120 graduates from the Archaeology-Museology specialty (1973–1990)—enabled foundational research, including one habilitation, one doctoral dissertation, and key monographs. Post-independence reopening of VU's Archaeology Department in 1990 marked a turning point, but the site's significance was cemented earlier through its role as a training ground for archaeologists, blending fieldwork with natural science and chemical-physical analyses on artifacts.

Luchtanas, A. (2010). Archaeology “Under the flag of Lithuanian SSR Department of History”. Archaeologia Lituana, 11, 15–19. https://doi.org/10.15388/archlit.2010.11.5301