Date of birth

24 April 1950

Place of birth

Klaipėda, Lithuania

Education

1968–1973

Vilnius State University (currently Vilnius University), Archaeology

1968

Secondary School No 21 in Vilnius (currently Gerosios Vilties progimnazija (lower secondary school))

Work experience

2016

Chair, Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences

Since 2011

Full Member, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences

Since 2009

Expert Member, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences

2006–2016

Dean and, since 2008, Professor, Faculty of History, Vilnius Pedagogical University (currently Vytautas Magnus University Academy of Education)

1993

Rector, Vilnius Pedagogical University

1991–1993

Vice Rector, Vilnius Pedagogical University

1990–1991

Dean, Faculty of History, Vilnius Pedagogical Institute (currently Vytautas Magnus University Academy of Education)

1988–1990

Vice Dean, Faculty of History, Vilnius Pedagogical Institute

1972–1977

Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Archaeologists Group, Scientific-Methodological Council for the Protection of Cultural Monuments

Political career

No party affiliation

2016–2020

Member of the 12th Seimas

Chair, Committee on Education and Science

Member, Freedom Prize Commission

Member, Commission for the Traditions and Heritage of Lithuanian Studies

Member, Commission for the Cause of Freedom and the National Historical Memory (2018–2020)

Member, Commission for the National Historical Memory (2017–2018)

Miscellaneous

Research into the 1st-11th century Aestian (Western Baltic) material and immaterial heritage. Archaeological research of flatland burial sites in Seredžius, Raudonėnai (Jurbarkas District) in 1974, 1975, Plikaigalis (Kėdainiai District) in 1977, Lauksvydai ir Krūvandai (Kaunas District) in 1978–1979, Rupunioniai (Kaunas District) in 1980, Šaukėnai (Tauragė District) in 1981–1983, Dauglaukis (Tauragė District) in 1984–1995 and in 2000, and Vėluikiai (Tauragė District) in 2006, 2007. In 1988, defended the doctoral thesis on Central Lithuania in the 1st to 4th century AD, Reconstructed on the Basis of Tombstones at the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. As one of the pioneers of Astroarchaeology, he has discovered and substantiated the astronomy-based Aestian burial rites and, namely, body positioning and grave orientation relative to pagan celestial deities of the Sun, the Moon, and the North (Pole) Star of the constellation Ursa Minor. He has devised and tested a new method for gender determination of the remains of the dead in cases when neither anthropological nor grave inventory study could yield any results. This, in particular, enabled researchers to establish the gender of children found in burial grounds. He has also established seasonal regularities in the worship rites dedicated to celestial deities in central Lithuania in the 1st through 5th century AD and the possible reasons for this; and has come up with a method for determining the season of the burial. Being one of the first researchers to study gender archaeology in Lithuania, he also studies the social make-up and social evolution of Aestians. He has developed and substantiated a new model of ethnogenesis of Aestians in the 1sth through 8th century AD, with a particular focus on the Great Migration of the Aestians and the settlement of the new Aestian tribes. He announced a new theory under which Lithuanians are the descendants of Galindians. This information is available in his publications: monographs on Aisčiai: Kilmė (Origins of Aestians) (2012), Raida (Evolution) (2014), and Lietuvių ir Lietuvos pradžia (Origins of Lithuanians and Lithuania) (2016); book The Aestians. The Western Balts (2020), and popular science book Kapai ir Žmonės (Graves and People). He presides the editorial board of the scientific journal Lituanistica and sits on editorial colleges of publications Lietuvos Archeologija (Lithuanian Archaeology) and Archaeologia Lituana.

He was the first in Lithuania to apply computer science to research and dissemination in the area of archaeology and history. He has pioneered in Lithuania in the application of multimedia technologies in the field of humanities. He has published 17 compact and video CDs, the most famous of which are Žvilgsnis į „Aukso“ amžių. Baltai pirmaisiais amžiais po Kristaus (A Look into the Golden Age: Baltic Tribes in Early Centuries AD) (1998), Lietuva iki Mindaugo (Lithuania before King Mindaugas) (1999), three editions of Gimtoji istorija (Native Land) (2002, 2003, and 2004); trilogy on Įdomiosios Lietuvos istorijos (Interesting Stories of Lithuania), which includes Valstybė (The State) (2005), Menas (Art) (2006), and Visuomenė (Society) (2007); and Lietuva 1009–2009 (Lithuania in 1009–2009) (2009).

Founder and member of the Lithuanian Archaeology Society (1989), founder of the Foundation of the Support for the Palace of the Grand Dukes (2000), Member of the National Commission for Cultural Heritage (2003-2011), member of the Seimas Commission for the National Independence Grant (2008-2012), member of the Council for Ethnic Care under the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (2014-2016).

Awards: Cross of Officer of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (2003); New Book Smuggler (regional award for the development of the information society, 2005); Tauragė County Sign of Honour (2006); winner of the National Science Prize in the field of science applications for his work series, History and Computers (2008); Trakai History Museum’s Sign of Honour (2008, 2018); Tauragė Honorary Citizen (2014).

Hobbies: music, books

Languages: German and Russian

Family

Married to Audronė Jovaišienė; has a son, Marius, and a daughter, Indrė.