Vestiges of the Huns? The Radiocarbon-Based Chronology of the Trilobate Arrowheads from Plinkaigalis Cemetery, Central Lithuania

Abstract

Until presently, over 60 trilobate arrowheads characteristic of Asian nomads have been found in Lithuanian hillforts or their adjacent settlements, some of them in destruction layers. These finds encouraged Lithuanian archaeologists to create a narrative about the Huns severely raiding into the region in the 5th century AD. However, it is accepted as an axiom rather than a topic for research due to the lack of precise chronology. From the Plinkaigalis cemetery, extremely rare finds are known; two trilobate arrowheads were found embedded in human bones (both were from group burials, where other signs of violent trauma were encountered). These finds offered the unique possibility of radiocarbon dating skeletal material directly related to trilobate arrowheads, providing new insights into the narrative of the Huns’ attack. The results of a set of AMS 14C dates are presented and discussed in the article.