Ceramics unearthed at possible site of Metsepole castle in Latvia
Large-scale archaeological excavations are underway at the Grebu hillfort in Dikļi parish, Valmiera district, where researchers have found the first fragments of ceramics just centimeters below the surface. Archaeologists hope the dig will reveal whether this was the site of the Livonian castle of Metsepole mentioned in historical sources.
In Dikļi parish, part of Valmiera district, archaeologists are conducting one of the largest excavations ever carried out at the Grebu hillfort site. Just a few centimeters beneath the surface, researchers have already uncovered the first fragments of ceramic pottery.
What researchers are trying to determine
The excavation aims to answer a long-standing historical question: whether two settlements once stood at this location and were inhabited simultaneously, and whether this was the site of the Livonian castle known as Metsepole, a name referenced several times in historical written sources but whose exact location has remained uncertain.
Hopes for further discoveries
The ceramic fragments found so far may be just the beginning. Archaeologists hope that further finds will not only help clarify whether Metsepole castle stood at this site, but could also give rise to new hypotheses about the broader historical significance of the location within the history of Latvia.
Excavations at the Grebu hillfort are continuing, with researchers planning to study the uncovered material in detail to build a clearer picture of the site's periods of habitation and its historical role.
