I understand Marija Gimbutas is somewhat controversial for her theories regarding earlier times, but I've not heard that her work on the pre-history of Balts and Slavs being challenged as fiercely.

Foreword


This book was written at Stanford, California, at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, located on a hill overlooking broad expanses in all directions. At certain moments here I have visualized the hills and slopes shrouded with green oaks as seen from the castle hill of Gediminas in Vilnius, my native city in the heart of the Baltic lands, from which I am separated by almost twenty years. The Californian sand dunes, at Carmel, remind me of the pure white sands of Palanga, where I used to collect handfuls of amber; and the sunsets in the Pacific, of the peacefully sinking sun as it disappeared into the Baltic Sea, beyond where, to the west, my forefathers thought was the cosmic tree, the axis of the world, holding up the arch of the sky.

I am deeply grateful therefore to the Center for such inspiring working conditions, the delightful atmosphere, and for all the assistance made available to me. I would also like to express appreciation to my many Lithuanian, Lettish, Polish and Russian colleagues for invaluable information they supplied and the illustrations and books they procured, particularly to Drs J. Antoniewicz, V. Ģinters, Ju. V. Kukharenko, R. Rimantienė, and A. Spekke. For technical help, editing and typing, I am deeply indebted to Miss M. Gallaher and to my daughter Danutė.
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