Major Bioarchaeological Study Sheds New Historical Light on the Lives of Vilnius’ Past Residents

Who were the people who walked the streets of Vilnius 500 or even 700 years ago? What did they eat? What diseases did they suffer from? Did they all live similar lives? Did people from other places come to this town? Researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University (VU) set out to answer these questions by conducting one of the largest bioarchaeological research projects in Lithuania, Bioarchaeological Characteristics of Vilnius’ Inhabitants from the 13th–18th Centuries and How These Evolved. During the project, a comprehensive database of past Vilnius residents was compiled, based on the remains of 2,290 individuals from 19 burial sites. The material revealed spanned more than five centuries of the city’s history.