After Lithuania regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, a number of academic works were published by prominent historians of the state's history.
The opportunity to issue a fundamental and comprehensive academic work arose in 2000 when a programme sponsored by the Lithuanian Institute of History, coordinated by prof. habil.
After its completion, it will be the largest academic publication covering Lithuania's history ever released and will include the latest research findings.
[3] Political, ethical, confessional, and judicial themes will be covered in a European context, and the modern works of Ukrainian, Russian, and other states' historians will be examined.
[6] It covers approximately 10,000 years, investigating the development of communities during the paleolithic, mesolithic, and Neolithic eras and the Bronze Age in a local and European context.
It features an improved periodisation of epochs, and social developments are analyzed using not only archaeological findings, but the methodologies of the natural sciences as well.
[8] The 357-page volume was written by authors known for their fieldwork in archeology and the prehistory of Lithuania: dr. Tomas Ostrauskas, dr. Vygandas Juodagalvis, hab.
[3] Invoking archaeological research, it discusses Lithuania's formation and development, and the impacts made by the Vikings and by Rus.
[3] An in-depth analysis was made of the evolution of the Baltic tribes in the region since these Lithuanians were the only Balts to create their own state.
dr. Vytautas Kazakevičius, dr. Ilona Vaškevičiūtė, dr. Rasa Banytė Rowell, and dr. Darius Baronas; the responsible editor was Gintautas Zabiela.
[11] In 2008 was released another volume of the book entitled "Sąjūdis: nuo "Persitvarkymo" iki Kovo 11-osios" (English: History of Lithuania.