DOI article:
Rimantienė, Rimutė: Substantial remains of incipient Neolithic agriculture at Šventoji 6, a Narwa culture settlement in Lithuania
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49004#0107
TOOLS & TILLAGE VII 2-3 1993-1994
95
is bluntly fashioned by cuttings, 3.5 cm
broad, flat and smoothed by wear (Fig. 8:4).
These hand ards have most probably been
handled by women in a stooping position as
was also common in the use of other tools.
Such a tool would be pushed forward by the
user. But a clearly visible wear on the shaft of
the specimens (especially Fig. 6:3) indicates
that they could also be pulled by another per-
son by means of straps.
Similar tools are known from all parts of
Europe, although rather few have been un-
covered. The most similar to the specimens
treated above is probably one found at Svar-
varbo in Central Sweden (Larsen 1928; Glob
1951, 49-57, Fig. 54, 55). This is tentatively
dated to the early Bronze Age. It is made
from a branch of oak. It is, however, much
longer (1.95 m) than those from Sventoji 6
and if the sole is placed horizontally its han-
dle is conveniently placed to the driver, 60 cm
above the ground. Wear marks on the shaft
indicate, that this tool has also been pulled.
Somewhat more complicated hand ards are
known from the Twan settlements in Swit-
zerland. Three charred pieces made of syca-
more have been published by Wesselkamp
(1980, 20-21, pl. 14, 15, 33, 34). They belong
to the early Neolithic Cortaillod culture and
they were made of the transitional part of the
stem and branch. The bottom of the sole was
flat in the rear part with a similar hook as on
the Sventoji 6 specimens. But instead of a
square front the share was pointed with a
small bulb on top of which wear marks from
a pulling cord could be observed.
A hand ard from the early Iron Age settle-
ment at Biskupin in Poland was made of pine.
It is doubtful whether it could have been used
for any serious work. It is 70 cm long with a
13 cm long, flat sole. A knot or remnant of a
twig between shaft and sole might have
served as a foot rest or for straps (Slaski 1950,
165-166; Glob 1951, 69 Fig. 87). Furrows
were made with hand ards. At this early stage
in agriculture there appeared also new deco-
ration motives in the Narwa ceramics,
squares and rhombes (Fig. 10). Such decora-
tions might have had the magical meaning to
protect the reserves of seeds kept in the ves-
sels? Hand ards were not in use for long but
were replaced when men and ox-drawn ards
took over the more extensive severe tillage as
e.g. at Biskupin.
Cultivated crops at Sventoji 6
The conclusive proof of agriculture at Sven-
toji 6 took the form of seeds of Italian millet
(Setaria italica). This is one of the oldest cul-
tivated plants, endemic in China as in the
Asian continent. The finds at Sventoji 6 are
amongst the oldest in Europe. This crop
grows in small bushes, each of which requires
about 30x30 cm space. The seeds differed in
Fig. 5. The antler hand ard from Zedmar, now Se-
rowo, the Kaliningrad territory in Russia (after
Gaerte 1929 Fig. 38A). Drawn by RR. □ Furchen-
stock aus Hirschgeweih aus dem Torfmoor Zed-
mar bei Insterburg (jetzt: Cern’achovsk), Ost-
preuhen (jetzt Rutland).
size, but the relation between the small ones
and the mature big ones was similar to that of
the present crops, indicating that they be-
longed to the same species. According to the
earliest written sources Italian millet was still
95
is bluntly fashioned by cuttings, 3.5 cm
broad, flat and smoothed by wear (Fig. 8:4).
These hand ards have most probably been
handled by women in a stooping position as
was also common in the use of other tools.
Such a tool would be pushed forward by the
user. But a clearly visible wear on the shaft of
the specimens (especially Fig. 6:3) indicates
that they could also be pulled by another per-
son by means of straps.
Similar tools are known from all parts of
Europe, although rather few have been un-
covered. The most similar to the specimens
treated above is probably one found at Svar-
varbo in Central Sweden (Larsen 1928; Glob
1951, 49-57, Fig. 54, 55). This is tentatively
dated to the early Bronze Age. It is made
from a branch of oak. It is, however, much
longer (1.95 m) than those from Sventoji 6
and if the sole is placed horizontally its han-
dle is conveniently placed to the driver, 60 cm
above the ground. Wear marks on the shaft
indicate, that this tool has also been pulled.
Somewhat more complicated hand ards are
known from the Twan settlements in Swit-
zerland. Three charred pieces made of syca-
more have been published by Wesselkamp
(1980, 20-21, pl. 14, 15, 33, 34). They belong
to the early Neolithic Cortaillod culture and
they were made of the transitional part of the
stem and branch. The bottom of the sole was
flat in the rear part with a similar hook as on
the Sventoji 6 specimens. But instead of a
square front the share was pointed with a
small bulb on top of which wear marks from
a pulling cord could be observed.
A hand ard from the early Iron Age settle-
ment at Biskupin in Poland was made of pine.
It is doubtful whether it could have been used
for any serious work. It is 70 cm long with a
13 cm long, flat sole. A knot or remnant of a
twig between shaft and sole might have
served as a foot rest or for straps (Slaski 1950,
165-166; Glob 1951, 69 Fig. 87). Furrows
were made with hand ards. At this early stage
in agriculture there appeared also new deco-
ration motives in the Narwa ceramics,
squares and rhombes (Fig. 10). Such decora-
tions might have had the magical meaning to
protect the reserves of seeds kept in the ves-
sels? Hand ards were not in use for long but
were replaced when men and ox-drawn ards
took over the more extensive severe tillage as
e.g. at Biskupin.
Cultivated crops at Sventoji 6
The conclusive proof of agriculture at Sven-
toji 6 took the form of seeds of Italian millet
(Setaria italica). This is one of the oldest cul-
tivated plants, endemic in China as in the
Asian continent. The finds at Sventoji 6 are
amongst the oldest in Europe. This crop
grows in small bushes, each of which requires
about 30x30 cm space. The seeds differed in
Fig. 5. The antler hand ard from Zedmar, now Se-
rowo, the Kaliningrad territory in Russia (after
Gaerte 1929 Fig. 38A). Drawn by RR. □ Furchen-
stock aus Hirschgeweih aus dem Torfmoor Zed-
mar bei Insterburg (jetzt: Cern’achovsk), Ost-
preuhen (jetzt Rutland).
size, but the relation between the small ones
and the mature big ones was similar to that of
the present crops, indicating that they be-
longed to the same species. According to the
earliest written sources Italian millet was still