Possible Livonian castle site examined by archaeologists

Pottery shards, pieces of clay plaster, and a layer of burnt stones – these are among the first artefacts that archaeologists have uncovered at the Grebu hillfort. When Latvian Television arrived, the researchers were working on the upper soil layers, but they suggested that they would need to dig to a depth of about one metre to find even more historical evidence. “We have found a great many fragments of clay plaster. This plaster was used in building construction – walls were coated with clay, partly for fire safety. The first pottery shards have also been found – both hand-made, unthrown pottery and pottery made on a potter’s wheel. This technology emerged around the 10th–11th centuries, so we can already date the hillfort to the Late Iron Age,” explained Vanda Haferberga, a researcher at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia. Mārcis Kalniņš, Chair of the Board of the Latvian Archaeologists’ Association, pointed out that there are also plans to analyse the nearby marshes: “There are extensive marshes on both sides of the hillfort. Together with colleagues from the Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology, who are researching the palaeoenvironment, we have also taken samples from the marshes. Analysing these will help us try to determine when the first people appeared in this area and find out what they grew.” No large-scale archaeological excavations have previously taken place here – only minor ones in 1989. Now, archaeologists hope to gain a much broader understanding of the significance of the hillfort. “A hypothesis has been put forward that this could be the site of Metsepole Castle. Metsepole Castle is first mentioned in the written sources known to us 800 years ago – in 1226. “That is why these hill forts have been selected as Latvia’s Archaeological Monument of the Year. This is precisely why research is being carried out here – to determine whether the dating of the hill fort corresponds to the period of occupation mentioned in historical sources,” explained Kalniņš. Haferberga explained that this is one of the few archaeological sites in Latvia with two hill forts situated nearby: “We will also visit the other hill fort, where there is potential evidence of a possible bridge site and fortifications. That is precisely what we plan to investigate further.” The finds will then be carefully examined and handed over to the Valmiera Museum. The analysis of the bog samples and other materials, however, may take several months.