Marija Gimbutas ( Lithuanian : Marija GimbutienÄ -- , born Marija BirutÄ -- AlseikaitÄ -- ) ( Vilnius , Lithuania , January 23 , 1921 â `` Los Angeles , United States February 2 , 1994 ) , was a Lithuanian-American archeologist known for her research into the Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of `` Old Europe '' , a new thing she introduced . Marija Gimbutas ( Vilnius , January 23 , 1921 â `` Los Angeles , United States February 2 , 1994 ) , was a Lithuanian-American archeologist known for her research into the Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of `` Old Europe '' , a term she introduced .