{"id":1899,"date":"2025-07-09T15:06:43","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T12:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/?p=1899"},"modified":"2025-07-31T11:04:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T08:04:50","slug":"archaeological-research-of-jankalns-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/blog\/2025\/07\/09\/archaeological-research-of-jankalns-of-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Archaeological research of J\u0101\u0146kalns of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first week of the archaeological research of J\u0101\u0146kalns Hill in Turaida has already passed. Its goal is to further clarify J\u0101\u0146kalns as a possible archaeological site. J\u0101\u0146kalns Hill is located in the territory of the Turaida Museum Reserve and its name indicates the traditions of celebrating the summer solstice. Archaeological excavations have already taken place in various parts of J\u0101\u0146kalns Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sounding works on the central plateau of J\u0101\u0146kalns (sounding is a process that accurately determines the boundaries of soil layers). Participating in the work are Anna Batraga, a research assistant and doctoral student at the Institute of Latvian History of the University of Latvia, M\u0101rcis K\u013cavi\u0146\u0161, a master’s student at Leiden University and a researcher at the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Latvia, and Kar\u012bna Janova-Jannava, a master’s student of history and archaeology of the University of Latvia. Photo: J. Timermane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the northern part of J\u0101\u0146kalns in 2014 and 2015, archaeological excavations were carried out, which identified the site of the ancient Turaida brick kiln (a type of oven used to fire or bake bricks). In 2013, archaeological excavations were carried out in the southeastern part of J\u0101\u0146kalns, on a natural, elongated elevation of land, where antiquities were found dating back to the 10th century – a narrow-bladed axe with an iron-shaft, a bronze bracelet, knives, a ring and a brooch in the shape of a horseshoe. The archaeologist E. Jeme\u013cjanovs has suggested that these antiquities are probably additions to destroyed burials, although no bones were preserved in the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, archaeological test excavations are being carried out on the southern side of the central part of J\u0101\u0146kalns, which is approximately 70x180m in size, with the aim of expanding knowledge about the use of the site over time. The archaeological research is organized by the Turaida Museum Reserve, and the research leaders are museum reserves\u2019 specialists Egils Jeme\u013cjanovs and Just\u012bne Timermane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The progress of archaeological research at Turaida J\u0101\u0146kalns. Photo: J. Timermane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Helping the archaeological excavations are young pupils from Sigulda region Kristaps Ondzulis and Mat\u012bss Bl\u016bms, as well as long-term summer interns of the Turaida Museum Reserve and volunteers and participants of the School of Young Archaeologists – Madara Avoti\u0146a and Sindija Santa Zauere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also participating in the work are Kar\u012bna Janova-Jannava, a master’s student in history and archaeology at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia, and a doctoral student Anna Batraga, as well as a student from Leiden University M\u0101rcis K\u013cavi\u0146\u0161. In cooperation with the Department of History and Archaeology of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia and the Latvian Society of Archaeologists, soundings and phosphate analyses were carried out in J\u0101\u0146kalns under the leadership of the archaeologist M\u0101rcis Kalni\u0146\u0161.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Phosphate analysis sample from the southern part of J\u0101\u0146kalns. The intensity of the blue color indicates the amount of phosphate in the soil sample. The weak tone indicates that there has not been intensive human presence and activity at this place. Photo: J. Timermane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geological sounding involves the removal of a narrow and small, but deep soil sample. A sample like this allows experts to look into the structure of the soil layers and make assumptions about the depth and intensity of the cultural layer (a layer with traces of human activity). Such samples were obtained and described at several locations on J\u0101\u0146kalns to a depth of 1m in order to obtain an expanded picture of J\u0101\u0146kalns, which may be useful for further research purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Long-time participant in the archaeological excavations of the Turaida Museum Reserve and 2024 summer intern M\u0101rcis K\u013cavi\u0146\u0161, conducting sounding work on the southeastern elevation of J\u0101nkalns. Photo: J. Timermane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Phosphate analysis is a method that allows you to determine the intensity of human activity based on the amount of phosphates in soil samples. Phosphorus is a unique element because it is a sensitive and persistent witness to human activity. The amount of phosphates in the soil can indicate not only the presence of humans, but also indicate its type and intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research already conducted has led to the conclusion that there has been no intensive human presence in J\u0101\u0146kalns. No obvious and pronounced cultural layer was found, and the analyses did not indicate intensive human activity. Most likely, J\u0101\u0146kalns did not serve as a settlement for the locals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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M\u0101rcis Kalni\u0146\u0161, a researcher at the Department of History and Archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology of the University of Latvia and the Chairman of the Latvian Society of Archaeologists, introduces young people from Sigulda to the use of sounding in archaeological research. Photo: J. Timermane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u200b\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was most likely not necessary at all, taking into account the proximity of the Turaida Castle Hillfort and the Jelgavkalns settlement and the known intensity of settlement there. However, whether the J\u0101\u0146kalns territory was used by the Gaujas\u2019 L\u012bvi for burials or for some other purpose is a question that remains to be clarified, which this year’s archaeological research will try to resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young people from Sigulda are participating in archaeological excavations within the framework of the Sigulda region municipality and the State Employment Agency’s student employment program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prepared by Just\u012bne Timermane, Turaida Museum Reserve chief specialist and historian<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The first week of the archaeological research of J\u0101\u0146kalns Hill in Turaida has already passed. Its goal is to further clarify J\u0101\u0146kalns as a possible archaeological site. J\u0101\u0146kalns Hill is located in the territory of the Turaida Museum Reserve and its name indicates the traditions of celebrating the summer solstice. Archaeological excavations have already taken […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1901,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/07\/IMG_1074-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1899"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1899"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1905,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1899\/revisions\/1905"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/turaida-muzejs.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}