Archaeologists uncover unique ancient settlement on island in Lake Indzers

In early August, archaeological excavations took place on the small Cepurīte Island in Lake Indzers, carried out by a research team from the Institute of Culture and Arts at the Latvian Academy of Culture. The work was part of the project "Archaeological Heritage of Inland Waters: Islands and Lake Dwellings in Latvia's Lakes."

The excavations were led by archaeologist Juris Urtāns, the project's director and the institute's leading researcher. The team combined experienced and younger specialists, including Mārcis Kalniņš, Jānis Meinerts, Kaspars Markuss Molls, Mārcis Kļaviņš, Agnese Čakare, and archaeology master's student Karla Johanna Neimane from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany. Details of the excavation were shared by Ieva Vītola, the institute's leading researcher and project coordinator.

Background to the discovery

The choice of Cepurīte Island was not accidental. As early as 1983, archaeologist Māris Atgāzis had identified traces of an ancient settlement layer on the island. In spring 2025, as part of the current project, the island was surveyed again, and the findings from that survey laid the groundwork for this summer's excavation work.

The renewed survey revealed that the ancient settlement had covered the entire small island, pointing to a notable scale of habitation relative to the island's size. According to the researchers, no comparable lake-dwelling site has so far been identified elsewhere in the Vidzeme region, making the find a significant contribution to understanding the area's early history.

The project continues to study islands and lake dwellings across Latvia's lakes in search of further evidence of ancient life along the country's inland waters.