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Preservation of Archaeological and Natural Values. A Case Study of the North-Western part of Latvia

Sandra Zirne and Egita Lūsēna

Cite this as: Zirne, S. and Lusena, E. 2023 Preservation of Archaeological and Natural Values. A Case Study of the North-Western part of Latvia, Internet Archaeology 62. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.62.14

Summary

The traditional coastal fishermen's village Košrags in the territory of the Slītere National Park. (Photo: E. Šulcs)
The traditional coastal fishermen's village Košrags in the territory of the Slītere National Park. (Photo: E. Šulcs)

The article is a review of specially designated nature protected areas and Stone Age settlements in north-western Latvia, called North Kurzeme. This area was chosen because it has a special environment. It is a culturally and historically important coastal region with diverse protected natural areas, a unique coastal landscape, and important archaeological sites. The article provides information about Moricsala Nature Reserve and Slītere National Park, their management, and about the Stone Age settlements discovered there.

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  • Keywords: North-Western Latvia, cultural and historical environment, nature protection, nature reserve, national park, Stone Age, dune settlements, coastal landscape
  • Accepted: 14 November 2022. Published: 23 March 2023
  • Funding: The publication of this article is funded by the European Archaeological Council.
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Corresponding author: Sandra Zirne
sandra.zirne@mantojums.lv
Head of Department Archaeology and History, National Heritage Board, Latvia

Egita Lūsēna
egita.lusena@mantojums.lv
Department Archaeology and History, National Heritage Board, Latvia

Full text

Figure 1: Schematic map of the North-Western part of Lavia (Kurzeme)

Figure 2: Moricsala Nature Reserve and Moricsala Mesolithic settlement site in Lake Usma (Photo: E. Lūsēna)

Figure 3: Slītere lighthouse, built in the 19th century, located on the edge of a steep slope of the Blue Hills in the territory of the Slītere National Park (Photo: E. Šulcs)

Figure 4: Cape Kolka – the northernmost point of the Kurzeme (Courland) peninsula (Photo: J. Urtāns)

Figure 5: Kolka lighthouse, built in the 19th century, located about 5km from the coast on an artificial island (Photo: L. Skujāne)

Figure 6: The traditional coastal fishermen's village Košrags in the territory of the Slītere National Park (Photo: E. Šulcs)

Figure 7: The White Dune outcrop and Purciems Neolithic settlement site (Photo: S. Zirne)

Figure 8: Clay figurine finds from Purciems settlement. (Drawing from Loze 2006, 152)

Loze, I. 2006 Neolīta apmetnes Ziemeļkurzemes kāpās, Rīga: Latvijas vēstures institūta apgāds.

Šturms, E. 1937a 'Neolīta apmetne Dundagas Purciemā' in F. Balodis and L. Liberts (eds) Senatne un Māksla 1, Riga: Pieminekļu valdes un valstspapīru spiestuve. 46–54.

Šturms, E. 1937b ' Senākie cilvēka tēli Latvijā' in F. Balodis and L. Liberts (eds) Senatne un Māksla 4, Riga: Pieminekļu valdes un valstspapīru spiestuve. 83–91.

Zagorska, I. 2000 'Mesolithic habitation in the basin of Lake Usma, Western Latvia' in Ē. Mugurēvičs (ed) Arheoloģija un etnogrāfija XX, Rīga: Latvijas vēstures institūta apgāds. 107–19.

Zagorska, I. 2004 'Apzināšanas darbi Usmas ezera rietumu krastā' in I. Ose (ed) Arheologu pētījumi Latvijā 2002. un 2003. gadā, Rīga: Latvijas vēstures institūta apgāds. 16–17.

Laws

1992 Law on Protection of Cultural Monuments https://likumi.lv/doc.php?id=72551 [Last accessed: 15 September 2022].

1993 Law on Specially Protected Nature Territories. https://likumi.lv/ta/en/en/id/59994 [Last accessed: 15 September 2022].

2000 Moricsala Nature Reserve Law. https://likumi.lv/ta/id/3991-moricsalas-dabas-rezervata-likums [Last accessed: 15 September 2022].

2015 Slītere National Park Law. https://likumi.lv/ta/en/en/id/272129-slitere-national-park-law [Last accessed: 15 September 2022].

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