Vaga publishing releases Lithuanian translation of marija Gimbutienė's final work

Vaga publishing house released a Lithuanian translation of "The Living Goddesses", the final work of 20th-century archaeologist Marija Gimbutienė.

The book summarizes the research of Gimbutienė, who spent her life studying the religion, symbols, and social structures of prehistoric Europe. While her work gained international recognition for proposing that ancient European cultures centered on female deities and natural cycles, many of her ideas remain a subject of academic debate.

The publisher stated that they released the Lithuanian version to provide a foundation for public dialogue by presenting Gimbutienė's own arguments in her native language rather than through external interpretations. The text explores the roles of men and women in prehistoric societies and examines the mythology of various groups, including the Etruscans, Basques, Celts, and Germans. It also features a detailed overview of Baltic religion and mythology.

This final section includes personal reflections from Gimbutienė regarding her own culture and memories. Gimbutienė lived in Lithuania and studied at Vilnius University before earning a doctorate at the University of Tübingen in Germany in 1946. She later worked at Harvard University and the University of California, Los Angeles. The original book first appeared in 1999, edited by archaeologist Miriam Robbins Dexter.

The publisher will host a presentation for the new translation at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania on November 9.