A Rediscovered Symbol
| Recently, the media reported that you found “The Little Whale” sculpture — the long-lost symbol of Birštonas — in a river.
The truth is, the symbol was never really lost or drifted away. As archaeologists, we simply helped confirm its precise location. Locals knew it was somewhere in the riverbed or along the shore, but due to changes in the riverbank and water level, the exact position remained unclear. My colleague Rokas Kraniauskas and I checked the area and found it embedded in the silt — not even underwater — in a murky bend of the Nemunas River. We couldn’t photograph it due to the mud, but we recorded its coordinates.
Breaking Stereotypes
| Doesn’t the stereotypical perception of archaeology annoy you?
Not at all. It’s nice that people even know the profession exists — that archaeologists are recognized for digging, searching, and finding.
| In your case, you also dive. Working underwater must require special qualifications or even physical endurance, doesn’t it?
Perhaps not everyone could do it, but it doesn’t require exceptional physical strength. You just need diving courses — as essential as driving lessons for car drivers. You learn how to react in all sorts of “what if” situations. You get used to the water pressure. Of course, working underwater isn’t easy — it can be dark, cold, deep, with currents or waves. You always dive with a little fear, but that fear keeps your self-preservation mode on.
The most beautiful moment is when conditions are good — you dive, breathe slowly, see everything clearly, and experience a state of weightless calm. It’s like meditation — when work becomes pure pleasure.
Not All Fun and Games
It may sound like recreation, but underwater archaeology is no place for recklessness. Sometimes, conditions force you to wait — for better weather, more rest, or better preparation. We never dive alone — at least two people at a time — and always with a clear plan of who does what.
For example, if we know there’s a dugout boat at the bottom of a lake, we dive, locate it, measure its length, height, and width — one person handles the ruler, the other takes photos, then we regroup. During exploratory dives, the process differs: we visually survey the bottom, check selected zones at certain depths, mark explored areas, and continue systematically.
Lakes Are Kinder Than the Sea
| How long have you been diving?
I started in 2001 — next year will mark a quarter of a century underwater.
How many lakes and rivers have you explored with colleagues?
Almost a hundred — 95 water bodies, including lakes and river stretches. Some we’ve revisited multiple times.
| And how many are still left to check?
Lithuania has more than 1,500 lakes and countless smaller ponds and rivers — plenty left to explore.
| You’re from Molėtai district — the land of lakes. Is that where your connection to water began?
Yes, I grew up in a small village in Molėtai district. My childhood was spent by a small lake — fishing, swimming, rowing, and diving were all natural parts of life.
| So, was your career choice fate?
Not exactly. As a teenager, I wanted to study law — inspired by Ally McBeal. Later, I became interested in archaeology, then classical philology — but life eventually “carried” me into archaeology.
I studied at Vilnius University and loved it — especially the fieldwork and excavations. It was in Plateliai that I met Professor Vladas Žulkus, who had already established a strong school of underwater archaeology in Klaipėda. That’s where I unexpectedly joined diving courses, earned my certification, and later pursued a PhD in underwater archaeology at Klaipeda University.
Freshwater vs. the Sea
| Prof. Vladas Žulkus, often called the father of Lithuanian underwater archaeology, focused on the sea, while your research centers on inland waters. What’s the difference?
I’ve only dived in the sea a few times — I find the vastness a bit intimidating. Lakes and rivers are easier to navigate — there’s vegetation, clear landmarks, and depths up to 20 meters are usually enough. I wouldn’t mind more sea experience, but somehow, opportunities always fell through. If I had to choose, I’d still pick inland waters — I know them best.
| Why?
Lakes are “friendlier.” You often find traces of past human life close to shore, at manageable depths. If you need to continue research, you can return and find the site mostly unchanged. The sea, however, shifts constantly — currents reshape the seabed, and after a short while, the site may be buried under sand. Unless the sea itself reveals it again after a storm.
Every Find Tells a Story
| So what kind of discovery brings you the most joy?
For me, it’s not a single item, but an entire site — like a lake settlement. The first one was in Lake Luokesai, just 15 km from my hometown. While our colleagues explored one area, we found another previously unknown settlement.
When we dated it — around 600 BC, from the Late Bronze Age — that became a real turning point. It inspired me to keep searching. Archaeologists often joke that some people are just “lucky finders.” I’m not one of those, but somehow I end up in the right place at the right time.
Warriors Beneath the Water
| And what about the warrior found with a sword — was that by chance?
In Lake Asveja, we found remains of two warriors. Working with recreational divers, we discovered the first near the old bridge leading to Dubingiai Castle — buried under a thin layer of silt. Beside him were a sword, knives in leather sheaths, and well-preserved leather boots.
The remains were carefully lifted for anthropological study. It’s unique because it wasn’t a burial site — just isolated remains. The second set of remains, found near another bridge, also had weapons and clothing fragments. We estimate the finds date from the 14th–15th centuries. These discoveries are rare and require deeper research to interpret fully.
Joy Expressed in Bubbles
| I realized that underwater archaeologists can’t exactly jump for joy when they make a big find...
We celebrate through bubbles! Excitement is expressed through our breathing regulators — and sometimes through hand signals. Some use underwater communication masks, but we don’t.
Archaeology today is full of new technologies that let us collect maximum scientific data without damaging sites. When I think back to the early days — when even an underwater camera was a luxury — the progress is astonishing.
The Water Preserves What the Earth Can’t
| Is it true that water preserves relics better than soil?
Yes. In wet environments, organic materials — wood, bone — are exceptionally well preserved. In dry soil, they decay quickly. That’s why underwater archaeology is so important: it provides invaluable data not only for archaeologists, but also for interdisciplinary studies such as archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, and radiocarbon dating.
| Lifting large artifacts from the water must be difficult?
It is — and often unnecessary. Removing objects that are stable underwater is risky and expensive. Raising a shipwreck, for example, would cost a fortune to conserve and restore. International law encourages preserving underwater heritage in situ — “without torturing it with oxygen.”
Fortunately, in Lithuania there’s little threat of destruction by construction or underwater infrastructure.
Traces of Modern Civilization
| Do you ever find modern items?
Yes — quite a few contemporary “relics.” Not a lot, but you can tell where people like to relax. It shows that, even today, people are drawn to water — lakes and rivers are still full of life, just as they were centuries ago.
The Diving Season
| When’s your next dive?
The comfortable diving season in Lithuania is short — four to five months. Winter dives are cold, and in summer visibility is limited by algal bloom. Early autumn is best — when lakes clear as nature transitions to winter.
FACTS
| The Underwater Research Centre at Klaipėda University’s Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology was established in 2003, though systematic underwater research began in 1986 in Lake Plateliai.
| The founder and long-time curator, Prof. Habil. Dr. Vladas Žulkus, is regarded as the father of Lithuanian underwater archaeology.
| The centre’s research continues under Dr. Elena Pranckėnaitė, with technical operations led by experienced diver-instructor Valerijus Krisikaitis.
| Research in the Baltic Sea and Curonian Lagoon employs modern technologies — sonar for detecting sunken ships and structures, followed by dives for detailed measurement, drawing, photography, filming, and sampling.
Interview by: Daiva Valaitytė
