DOI: 10.33547/terra.fertilis07
Living and working on water and surrounding wetlands? Traces of prehistoric activity in the Nemunas/Memel/Niemen Delta
by Rasa Banytė-Rowell 
in Terra fertilis, terra deserta. Exploitation of marginal zones, edited by M. J. Przybyła, J. Rodzińska-Nowak and M. Wojenka, Neue Studien zur Sachsenforschung 15, Braunschweig – Kraków: Braunschweigische Landesmuseum, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Profil-Archeo, pp. 107-126.
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Abstract: This article examines prehistoric human activity in the Nemunas (Memel/Niemen) Delta, a dynamic wetland landscape in the southeastern Baltic region, traditionally considered unsuitable for settlement. The study aims to reconstruct patterns of habitation and resource use by integrating archaeological data, historical sources, and environmental research.
The analysis focuses on a comprehensive review of archaeological finds, including stone tools, ceramics, metal artefacts, and structural remains such as pole constructions and possible settlements. These materials, many of which were discovered in peat layers and alluvial deposits, demonstrate that the delta was repeatedly occupied or exploited from the Neolithic through the Iron Age and into the early medieval period. Despite difficult environmental conditions—such as flooding, marshes, and shifting river channels—evidence suggests that humans adapted to the landscape, utilizing waterways for communication, fishing, and resource extraction.
Special attention is given to earlier research, particularly the work of Paul Lemke, whose archaeological mapping challenged the long-standing assumption that the region was uninhabited in prehistory. The article also critically evaluates geological theories that propose a relatively recent formation of parts of the delta, contrasting them with archaeological evidence indicating earlier human presence.
The study concludes that the Nemunas Delta should not be viewed as a marginal or deserted zone but rather as a complex and intermittently inhabited environment. It highlights the importance of interdisciplinary approaches for understanding human-environment interactions in wetland regions and calls for further research to clarify settlement patterns and chronological frameworks.