Memelland culture
The Memelland culture is an archaeological culture of the Baltic Iron Age from the 2nd to the 7th centuries in what is now northwestern Lithuania .
Distribution area
Traces of the Memelland culture can be found in the area of the lower Memel and in the northeastern Memelland . The Baltic tribe of the Kurds is attested in this area from the 8th century at the latest .
Since around the 5th century, evidence of Scandinavian cultures can be found on the southern Baltic coast ( Grobin settlement ).
Funeral culture
In contrast to the neighboring Sudauer culture, burials took place in body graves. The graves were created in a honeycomb shape in the midst of round or rectangular stone enclosures (East Baltic stone burial culture ).
Settlements
Settlements are mainly found near bodies of water.
Fortified castle settlements have existed on steep slopes (castle hill) or in protected locations, which were fortified by earth walls and wooden palisades, and their area was approx. 0.5 to 1 hectare since about the 5th century.
economy
Like the neighboring cultures, the people lived on agriculture, cattle breeding, hunting and fishing. The amber trade may also have played a major role. a. Metals like bronze or silver exchanged.
literature
- Wilhelm Gaerte : Prehistory of East Prussia . Koenigsberg 1929
- Hans Mortensen, Gertrud Mortensen : The settlement of northeastern East Prussia up to the beginning of the 17th century . Leipzig 1938
- Marija Gimbautas: The Balts . Munich 1983