World Heritage Identification Number: 1137
World Heritage since: 2004
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇱🇹 Lithuania
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Kernavė Archaeological Site (Cultural Reserve of Kernavė): An Ancient Testimony to Human Settlements in Eastern Lithuania
The Kernavė Archaeological Site, situated approximately 35 kilometers north-west of Vilnius in Lithuania, stands as an extraordinary testament to over ten millennia of human habitation in the region. This expansive archaeological ensemble, spanning an area of 194.4 hectares, comprises various archaeological, historical, and cultural properties that date back to the late Palaeolithic Period and extend through the Middle Ages.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Kernavė Archaeological site, about 35 km north-west of Vilnius in eastern Lithuania, represents an exceptional testimony to some 10 millennia of human settlements in this region. Situated in the valley of the River Neris, the site is a complex ensemble of archaeological properties, encompassing the town of Kernavė, forts, some unfortified settlements, burial sites and other archaeological, historical and cultural monuments from the late Palaeolithic Period to the Middle Ages. The site of 194,4 ha has preserved the traces of ancient land-use, as well as remains of five impressive hill forts, part of an exceptionally large defence system. Kernavė was an important feudal town in the Middle Ages. The town was destroyed by the Teutonic Order in the late 14th century, however the site remained in use until modern times.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (iii): The archaeological site of Kernave presents an exceptional testimony to the evolution of human settlements in the Baltic region in Europe over the period of some 10 millennia. The site has exceptional evidence of the contact of Pagan and Christian funeral traditions.
Criterion (iv): The settlement patterns and the impressive hill-forts represent outstanding examples of the development of such types of structures and the history of their use in the pre-Christian era.
Encyclopedia Record: Kernavė
Kernavė was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archeological site. It is located in the Širvintos district municipality located in southeast Lithuania. A Lithuanian state cultural reserve was established in Kernavė in 1989. In 2004 Kernavė Archaeological Site was included into UNESCO World Heritage list.Additional Site Details
Area: 194.4 hectares
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 54.879 , 24.853
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© Lestat (Jan Mehlich), CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
