Archaeologia Lituana
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana
<p>Founded in 1999 and dedicated to analysing the issues on the history and methodology of archaeology and important archaeological research data in the Baltic region. Indexed in the <em>Scopus</em> database since 2021.</p>Vilniaus universiteto leidykla / Vilnius University PressenArchaeologia Lituana2538-8738<p>Please read the Copyright Notice in <a href="http://www.zurnalai.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/journalpolicy">Journal Policy</a>. </p>Department of Archaeology 2023
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/article/view/34857
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The Cronicle of Scientific Life-Violeta Vasiliauskienė
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2024-03-132024-03-1313213710.15388/Chronicle of scientific life 2023
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/article/view/34856
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The Cronicle of Scientific Life-Violeta Vasiliauskienė
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2024-03-132024-03-13124131Medicine Bottles (1919–1939) found at 15A Užupio Street, Vilnius: Results of the Research and Interpretation of their Contents
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/article/view/34854
<p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Archaeological investigation was carried out in the first half of 2022 on the site Užupio g. 15A, which falls within the territory of the Vilnius St. Bartholomew’s Church building complex. During the research it was expected to find cultural layer horizons associated with the church and the cemetery next to it. Although archaeological finds and disturbed graves were discovered during the excavation, the most intriguing finds were collected in recessed structures dating from the first half of the XX century. As many as 69 bottles and vials were collected, most of which were used to store medicines. Four individual fragments with inscriptions were also found. Among the finds above, three bottles were found with preserved contents inside. This article, which is an interdisciplinary collaboration between archaeologists, historians, and chemists, analyses the archaeological and historical context of the mentioned finds, the places of manufacture of the discovered medicine bottles, the results of analyses of the contents found in the bottles, and interpretations of the possible uses of the recovered medicinal substances.</span></p>
Articlespharmacy vialspharmacyhistory of pharmacypharmacy of UžupisVismantas MuralisViktorija ŠimkutėVida VičkačkaitėAtas Žvirblys
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2024-03-132024-03-139811410.15388/ArchLit.2023.24.6Exhumations of Polish Soldiers in Lithuania: History and Methods of Research
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/article/view/34853
<p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The article describes the search for the remains of Polish soldiers in Lithuania from 1992 to the present day, and presents how such research has evolved, and what archaeological research methodology is used. The involvement of specialists from different institutions and disciplines in such searches is discussed. Although the article deals with the search for the remains of all Polish soldiers who died in the course of the 20th century conflicts in general, it is notable that the most numerous part of them is made up of the soldiers of Armia Krajowa. The main data available for such searches is the testimonies of live witnesses, supplemented and refined by archaeological and anthropological research. The methodology of such research is still being shaped on a case-by-case basis, so it is important to review and familiarise oneself with researches that has been carried out and cases of (un)successes, as this may help to plan further, more productive research and searches for individuals from this period in the future.</span></p>
Articlesforensic archaeologyforensic anthropologyArmia KrajowaJovita Kadikinaitė
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2024-03-132024-03-13849710.15388/ArchLit.2023.24.5Search for Genocide Crimes and Evidence in and Around the Territories of the Former NKVD (MGB) Headquarters in Lazdijai and Leipalingis
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/article/view/34852
<p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The main idea of this work is to summarize the data from two independent studies carried out in Lazdijai and Leipalingis in 2021–2023, to share the experience and the features of the research methodology in the search for the remains of the Lithuanian partisans – the clues of the violent crimes that were committed 75–80 years ago. The aim of the article is to identify the pattern of concealment evidence and crimes committed with impunity and systematically by the NKVD troops and their henchmen – the Soviet collaborators. Two tasks are formulated to achieve this goal: firstly, to reveal the theoretical principles of the methodology of the search for evidences applied during the forensic archaeology research in the period 2021–2023 in the search for the remains of the partisans of the Southern region of Lithuania, killed in the period 1945–1952 and possibly hidden in the courtyards of the NKVD headquarters in Lazdijai and Leipalingis and their surroundings, and secondly to summarize the methodology and the results achieved during the field work. </span></p>
Articlesgenocidecrimethe pattern of hiding evidencemethodologymethod of searching for remainsLithuanian Freedom FightersLithuanian partisansIngrida ČičiurkaitėLinas Kvizikevičius
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2024-03-132024-03-13498310.15388/ArchLit.2023.24.4Old Iron Age – Middle Iron Age Cemetery in Vilkija, According to the Data of the Archaeological Research Conducted in 2016 and 2023
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/article/view/34849
<p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">An article is discussed Old – Middle Iron Age burial ground in Vilkija (Kaunas district), excavated in 2016 and 2023. Objective was to gather fragmented information and finds from this period from museums and other sources. As well there were made radioactive carbon (14C) analysis of burials and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis of finds.</span></p>
ArticlesOld Iron AgeMiddle Iron Ageburial groundJustinas RačasLiudvikas VasiliauskasZenonas Baubonis
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2024-03-132024-03-13344810.15388/ArchLit.2023.24.3Mykola Makarenko and Mariupol Neolithic Burial Ground The tragic fates of the archaeologist and the site
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/article/view/34846
<p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" data-mce-fragment="1">Mariupol Neolithic burial site, unique by its exclusive rich and diversiform inventory, was excavated by Ukrainian archaeologist and art critic Mykola Makarenko in 1930. The author of the excavations was executed by Soviet punitive authorities. The top-level and highly informative publication of the materials on the cemetery, made in 1933, was confiscated. Part of the burial inventory was taken to Russia. Anthropological materials were destroyed during World War II.<br data-mce-fragment="1">The tragedy of Mariupol Cemetery continued in 2022. This was the year which became </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" data-mce-fragment="1">the tragedy in the history of Ukraine and inherently influenced the history of Europe. The Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian nature, and the Ukrainian culture suffered </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" data-mce-fragment="1">irretrievable losses. So did Ukrainian archaeology.<br data-mce-fragment="1"></span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;" data-mce-fragment="1">Hundreds of archaeological sites in the </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" data-mce-fragment="1">war zone, in the zone of occupation and in the annexed territories were completely destroyed or irreparably damaged. Among them, there were the scant surviving artifacts from Mariupol Cemetery.<br data-mce-fragment="1">This article is devoted to the history of excavations of Mariupol Burial Complex and the tragic fate of the collection of artifacts.</span></p>
ArticlesNeolithicMariupol CemeteryburialsMariupol-type burial groundscultural heritageNataliia Mykhailova
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2024-03-132024-03-13193310.15388/ArchLit.2023.24.2Marija Gimbutas and the Ethnic Origin of the Baltic Nation
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/article/view/34845
<p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;" data-mce-fragment="1">Birutė Marija Alseikaitė-Gimbutienė (English Marija Gimbutas), is one of the most prominent and well-known archaeologists of the 20th century, pioneer of archaeomythology, creator of new theories in archaeology. In her scientific research, she paid a great attention to the ethnic origins and development of nations.</span><br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" data-mce-fragment="1"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" data-mce-fragment="1">This article analyzes the Theory of Baltic Ethnic Origins formulated by Gimbutas. The solution to this important scientific problem involves two main research stages. The first stage is formulation of the Theory of Indo-European homeland, named the </span><em style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" data-mce-fragment="1">Kurgans </em><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" data-mce-fragment="1">Theory.</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; font-size: 1.05em;" xml:lang="en-US" data-mce-fragment="1"> The </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" data-mce-fragment="1">second stage is formulation of the Theory of the origins of Balts. According to Gimbutas, </span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;" data-mce-fragment="1">a few cultural systems participated in the formation of the Balts: the indoeuropeans and substrat culture, that is Indo-Europeanized people of Central Europe. The Indo-Europeans migrated from their homeland, located in the steppe zone north of the Black and Caspian seas, in three waves between 4400/4200 and 3000/2800 BC, ultimately reaching Europe and Indo-Europeanizing it.</span><br style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" data-mce-fragment="1"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;" data-mce-fragment="1">A secondary Indo-European Homeland was formed in Central Europe, from which the Indo-European culture spread to the Baltic region and other European regions.The last, third wave of newcomers, from around 3000–2800 BC, had the greatest influence on the southeastern and eastern Baltic region and the surrounding territories. During several centuries of assimilation between local inhabitants and newcomers, around 2500–2000 BC, in the territory between the Vistula River in the west and the Volga and Oka rivers in the east, several cultural groups of Proto-Balts were formed. During further ethnocultural processes, around 2000 BC. the Baltic ethnos was formed. In the 2nd and 1st millennium BC. and in the first part of the 1st millennium AD the Balts inhabited a huge area in the North Eastern part of Europe.</span></p>
ArticlesBirutė Marija Alseikaitė-GimbutienėMarija GimbutasIndo-EuropeansTheory of Baltic Ethnic OriginsArchaeomythologyKurgans Theorybook The BaltsKurganų teorijaknyga BaltaiAlgimantas Merkevičius
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2024-03-132024-03-13101810.15388/ArchLit.2023.24.1Preface
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/article/view/34844
<p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In the annual journal of scientific articles <em>Archaeologia Lituana</em> 24 (2023) of the Department of Archaeology of Vilnius University we present the more important and interesting archaeological research of our colleagues as well as a chronicle of the Department’s works and scientific activities of the year 2023.</p> <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><em>Archaeologia Lituana</em> 23 (2022) was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the archaeologist and pioneer of archaeomythology Marija Birutė Alseikaitė-Gimbutienė (Gimbutas, 1921–1994), and most of the articles published in the volume were based on the papers presented at the international scientific conference “The New <em>Old Europe</em>”. In this issue of <em>Archaeologia Lituana </em>24, assoc. prof. dr. Algimantas Merkevičius provides an analysis of the scientist’s works and their significance in the study of Baltic origins which you can find in his article “Marija Gimbutienė and the theory of Baltic origins”. Lithuanian archaeologists’ usually study various objects from prehistoric to historic and modern times. This diversity of research is also reflected in the variety of published articles: from the Iron Age burial site in Vilkija to the study of the Vilnius pharmacies of the interwar period of the 20th century, from the Egyptian crocodile mummy in the National Museum of Lithuania to the Soviet genocide crimes, murders and torture, which are particularly important in the geopolitical context of the present.</p> <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><em>Archaeologia Lituana</em> is also a chronicle of the annual work of the Department of Archaeology of Vilnius University. The year 2023 was a particularly important year. In the spring, we received the evaluation report of the Study field of Archaeology by the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (SKVC). The expert panel consisted of prof. dr. Jean-Luc Lamboley (panel chairperson), prof. dr. Raguel Pique Huerta (member of academic community), Sigita Mikšaitė (member representative of social partners), and Tautvydas Gaižauskas (students’ representative), evaluated the programme very positively: “The two curricula (bachelor and master) demonstrate a good balance between history and archaeology, between theory and practice, and give a complete overview of all the disciplines linked to the archaeological field, included archaeometry. A particular attention is paid to the Landscape Archaeology which is a promising discipline in the field. [...] The collaboration with the faculty of medicine is excellent, master students have access to specialized laboratories and can carry out their research work (final thesis) in optimal conditions by benefiting from highly qualified supervisors. By this way rare subjects archaeozoology or archaeobotanical can be taught only in Vilnius university. [...] The high scientific and pedagogical qualification of the teaching staff is to be underlined“.</p> <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">At the beginning of 2023, the European Research Council (ERC) awarded prof. dr. Giedrė Motuzaitė Matuzevičiūtė Keen, a bioarchaeologist at Vilnius University, a grant of €2 million for her research project “Past and Future Millet Foodways”. Prof. dr. G. Motuzaitė Matuzevičiūtė Keen became the first national researcher to receive an ERC established investigator grant under <em>Horizon Europe</em> and the third to receive an ERC grant overall.</p> <p style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">On 19–20 October 2023, the 12th international scientific conference <em>Readings of Jonas Puzinas</em> with the title “Strategies and Methods of Archaeological Research”, organized by the Department of Archaeology of Vilnius University, was held. The conference reports and any other articles prepared by fellow archaeologists are welcome and will be published in the next edition of <em>Archaeologia Lituana</em> in 2024.</p>
Front Matter-Albinas KuncevičiusAgnė Žilinskaitė
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2024-03-132024-03-1399Pratarmė
https://www.journals.vu.lt/archaeologia-lituana/article/view/34843
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Front Matter-Albinas KuncevičiusAgnė Žilinskaitė
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2024-03-132024-03-1388