Published: 20230126
Event date: 2023 y.January0125 d. - 2023 y.June0625 d. All events
Valdovų rūmai
Relevant until 2023-06-26
The Vilnius Castle Hill, along with the Lower Castle with the rulers’ residence at its foot at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia rivers, is one of the most valuable historic and archaeological complexes in Lithuania. The special geological constitution of this location and the high groundwater level have meant that particularly rare, organic artefacts, otherwise sensitive to the passage of time, have been preserved quite well, making this territory a true treasure trove of artefacts made from organic materials. Vilnius traces its origins to this very place, in the Vilnius Castles territory, its history as the centre of the Lithuanian state, its eternal capital, whose beginnings are evidenced by unique archaeological artefacts that have survived into our days.
To mark the 700th anniversary of the city of Vilnius, it was decided that these finds should be conserved, restored and presented to the public, symbolically unifying the history of the oldest surviving wooden building with 700 years since the first mention of Vilnius in the letters of Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas. The material cultural heritage displayed at the exhibition opens our eyes to a little-known period of history about “Vilnius before it was Vilnius” and the context of the city’s origins, familiarising the public with the most unique material relics and the accompanying comprehensive scientific research.
The exhibition consists of eight thematic parts. Part One, Vilnius Before it Was Vilnius. A Historian’s Approach, acquaints the public with the early history of Vilnius from the times of King of Lithuania Mindaugas (1253–1263) up to Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas (1316–1341), revealing what life could have been like at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia rivers in the 13th century, and the significance of this location as the Lithuanian state underwent expansion.
Part Two, Trees – History’s Chroniclers. A Naturalist’s Approach, tells the story of the last decades of the 13th century in Vilnius by using dendrochronological data.
In Part Three of the exhibition, A Late 13th-Century Barn. An Archaeologist’s Approach, we can learn about the archaeological context of the oldest extant wooden building in Vilnius, the dating of this artefact.
Part Four of the exhibition, 13th-Century Construction in Wood. An Architect’s Approach familiarizes the public with the construction techniques of this oldest preserved wooden building in Vilnius and the features of its structural construction.
Part Five of the exhibition, The Barn Cellar – a Treasure Trove of Valuable Artefacts, presents the construction of the underground part of the barn – its small cellar – as well as its probable function and the artefacts of organic origins found within that have no known analogues elsewhere.
The immediate environment of the oldest surviving wooden building in Vilnius, the biological variety of the second half of the 13th century, is presented in Part Six, The Building’s Surroundings – Flora and Fauna. A Bioarchaeologists’ Approach.
Part Seven of the exhibition, The Past Revealed to the Future. A Conservator’s Approach, presents the complex eight-year-long large-scale conservation and restoration process during which the fragment of the wooden building discovered by archaeologists was preserved and prepared for display. Visitors will be able to learn about the sucrose method and its application in the conservation of wooden artefacts.
Part Eight, Precious Treasures. Reflections of Fortune, anticipates an introduction to six of the most valuable exhibits offering the best representation of the epoch that were found within the vicinity of the exhibited building and in its cellar.
Curators of the Exhibition:
Mantvidas Mieliauskas, Deimantė Baubaitė
