Scientific Afternoon “Making the Invisible Visible: Ancient Latgalian Lakeside Settlements in Vidzeme on the Way to UNESCO”

On Friday, 23 October, from 14:00 to 17:00, the Āraiši Lake Castle Archaeological Park invites you to the scientific afternoon scientific afternoon “Making the Invisible Visible: Ancient Latgalian Lakeside Settlements in Vidzeme on the Way to UNESCO”.

Continuing the tradition, this autumn the Āraiši Lake Castle Archaeological Park is once again organising a scientific afternoon, where several talks by archaeology professionals will be presented.

This year, on the initiative of the Āraiši Lake Castle Archaeological Park, all ten Latgalian lakeside settlements in Vidzeme have been nominated for inclusion in UNESCO’s Latvian National List. Therefore, in order to learn what such a status of recognition means for the upkeep of a site, for the first time the scientific afternoon in Āraiši will also be joined by foreign guests: Lithuanian colleagues from the State Cultural Reserve of Kernavė, who will share their experience of maintaining the Kernavė Archaeological Site, which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There will also be talks about underwater archaeological research in the Vidzeme lakeside settlements, which has been resumed this year after a 30-year break, the technically challenging methodology of underwater archaeological work, and the folklore connected with the lakes of the Vidzeme lakeside settlements.

Venue: Visitor Centre of Āraiši Lake Castle Archaeological Park

Event programme:

14:00-14:10 – Opening remarks by Eva Koljera, Head of the Āraiši Lake Castle Archaeological Park

14:10-14:35 – Ramojus Kraujelis (State Cultural Reserve of Kernavė), Agnė Žilinskaitė (Vilnius University): “Between past and future. Goals, risks, and prospects of UNESCO Kernavė archaeological site”

14:35-15:00 – Juris Urtāns (Latvian Academy of Culture): “Lake folklore: why did farmhouses sink in the lakes of Vidzeme?”

15:00-15:30 – Coffee break

15:30-15:55 – Kaspars Markus Molls (National Heritage Board): “Underwater archaeological research: methods, challenges, and experience in Latvia”

15:55-16:20 –Jānis Meinerts (Āraiši Lake Castle Archaeological Park): “In the depths and in the mud: underwater survey work in the Vidzeme lakeside settlements in 2026”

16:20-17:00 – Discussion among the speakers

After each presentation there will be time for brief questions, and a discussion among the speakers is planned at the end of the event.