Christians in a Pagan Environment. Medieval Urban Cemeteries in Lithuania in the 13th and Early 15th Centuries

Archaeological evidence from Kernavė and Vilnius reveals that Christian burial practices, including inhumation, emerged in Lithuania's pagan cities before the official baptism of 1387. This challenges assumptions about the direct link between Christianity and the abandonment of cremation traditions. The study suggests that urban environments may have been key to the adoption of new funerary customs, raising questions about the identity of those buried according to Christian rites under pagan rule and the factors driving this transition.

Jonatis, R. (2024). Christians in a Pagan Environment. Medieval Urban Cemeteries in Lithuania in the 13th and Early 15th Centuries. From Paganism to Christianity Burial Rites during the Transition Period, 17–29. https://doi.org/10.33918/978609831447203