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12
Foreword
the conclusion that instead of this wall, moving back by several metres towards the plateau,
a new, currently visible, western defensive wall of Turaida Castle was built. The foundation
pit between the old and the new defensive walls was filled up with dark-coloured earth. Both
hoards of the 15th century were found in the upper layer of the filled-up space. Hence, the
large reconstruction works – building of the new western defensive wall, the Semi-round
Tower, and probably also of the gate tower were carried out in the 15th century, which is
proven also by specified dating of the hoards. Possibly, the location of the coin hoards is
associated with the collapse of the old western defensive wall.
The exciting catalogue, compiled by numismatist Tatjana Berga, provides a more
complete notion not only of the coins found in the archaeological excavations at wooden
and stone castles on Turaida Hillfort, but also of the history of castle construction works,
and obtain an acknowledgement that the River Gauja was an important waterway, inten-
sively used in exchange trading.
As long as scientific research of a collection has not been performed, its value is very
often underestimated. Coin finds in Turaida Castle provide evidence that Turaida Castle
belongs to archaeological monuments where the earliest coin finds in Latvia, i.e. Roman
coins, have been unearthed. A Roman coin, found in Turaida, dates back to the 2nd century
AD, and supposedly, as a jewel, got into the cultural layer of the stronghold of the Gauja
Livs. This coin was stored as a jewel for more than 1000 years until it was lost and later found
in the cultural layer of Livs during archaeological investigations. Each coin bears a historical
story about a definite time period when it was made and used.
Numismatist Tatjana Berga is an outstanding expert of Latvian numismatics and
an archaeologist with excellent knowledge about the assortment of coins found at Latvian
archaeological monuments.
The catalogue is issued on the 40th anniversary since archaeological expedition
works in Turaida were started. It is a kind of gratitude to all those who have participated in
the archaeological investigation of the castle in the course of many years and step by step
discovered new knowledge about both Turaida Castle and history of Latvia.
Anna Jurkāne
Director, Turaida Museum Reserve