The Practice of Preserving and Presenting Archaeological Sites in Latvia

• 1. Historical Overview
• 2. The Practice of Maintenance and Conservation of Archaeological Monuments
• 3. Endangered Archaeological Monuments
• 4. Archaeological Monuments in Specially Protected Territories
  • 4.1 Dviete River valley
  • 4.2 Valley of the Abava River
  • 4.3 Gauja National Park
  • 4.4 Grobiṇa archaeological ensemble
• 5. Conclusion

Figure 1: Bauska Castle complex consists of a medieval fortress built in the middle of the 15th century and a ducal palace constructed in the mannerism style in the late 16th century. Image: E. Šulcs

Figure 2: Daugmale hill-fort after the construction of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Plant. To prevent erosion of the slope, a technical road has been built at the foot of the hill-fort. Image: E. Šulcs

Figure 3: Koknese medieval castle ruins after the flooding of Pļaviṇu hydroelectric power plant water reservoir. Image: E. Šulcs

Figure 4: The ancient Dviete River valley. Image: D. Grūberts

Figure 5: Abava River Valley - specially protected cultural and historical territory. Image: E. Šulcs

Figure 6: Reconstructed Turaida medieval castle in the territory of Turaida Museum Reserve. Image: Turaida Museum Reserve

Figure 7: Cēsis Castle complex is located in the territory of the 18th- and 19th-century manor park and consists of the partly reconstructed medieval castle, built in the beginning of the 13th century, manor complex and Riekstu kalns hill-fort. Image: E. Šulcs

Figure 8: Reconstruction of Āraiši Lake fortress. Image: E. Šulcs

Figure 9: Grobiṇa hill-fort (Skābarža hill), ancient town and medieval castle ruins Image: J. Urtāns

Apals, J. 2002 'Araisi lake fortress in Latvia', Viking Heritage Magazine 4, 24-25.

Apals, J. 2011 'Būvkoku konservācija un degradācija Āraišu ezerpils rekonstrukcijā', Arheoloģija un etnogrāfija XXV, 204-20.

Girsa, V. 2002 'Evaluation of conservation works at the Bauska castle-ruin' in D. Bruģis and I. Līne (eds) The Problems of Historical Ruin Conservation. Materials of international symposium and conference organized during the implementation of the project of EC program 'Culture 2000' 'Renaissance of the historical handicrafts and synthesis of the modern technologies in conservation of the 15th century Bauska fortress-ruin', Bauska: Bauska Castle Museum. 15-28.

Law on Protection of Cultural Monuments 1923 Valdības Vēstnesis 133, 26.06.1923. http://www.periodika.lv/periodika2-viewer/view/index-dev.html#panel:pp|issue:/p_001_wawe1923n133|article:DIVL29|block:P1_TB00006|issueType:P

Law on Protection of Cultural Monuments 1992 https://likumi.lv/doc.php?id=72551

Law on Specially Protected Nature Territories 1997 https://likumi.lv/doc.php?id=59994

Regulations of the specially protected cultural and historical territory "Abava Valley"' 1996 https://likumi.lv/doc.php?id=63974

Regulations of the specially protected cultural monument Turaida Museum Reserve 2013 https://likumi.lv/doc.php?id=253754

Šnē, A. 1999 'Archaeological heritage and its protection in Latvia' in O.W. Jensen, H. Karlsson and A. Vijups (eds) Inside Latvian Archaeology, Gotarch Series A, Vol. 2, Göteborg. 165-74.