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Egils Jemeļjanovs
T H E K R I M U L DA S R AG A NA HOA R D A N D
H I S T O R I C A L A R E A S O F T H E G AU J A L I V S
During summer 2007, in Ragana, Krimulda rural district, approximately 35 km
north-eastwards from Riga in the former area of Englarte manor, there was found a
silver hoard containing ornaments and coins. The total number of units – 176 artefacts,
weight – almost 1.4 kilograms. Turaida Museum Reserve obtained the whole hoard.
The location of the hoard was in Kubesele, in the ancient district of the Gauja Livs. In
the 13th century, it was named Asegalle (Asigalle, Azegall). The place-name is related to the
name of an elder of the Gauja Livs – Ase, mentioned in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia.
Around the findspot in the distance of 3 to 5 km there are located several monuments of
archaeological significance – Lojas and Gavēņu hillforts, sites of ancient burial fields. The
dating of the silver artefacts agrees with the existence of nearby located Kubesele Liv
village in the 11th–13th centuries and the burial field at Liepeņu homestead as well as 56
ancient tumulus burials at Tālēni and about 270 ancient tumulus burials at Priedes. In the
surrounding area single finds were discovered dating back to the 11th–13th centuries.
It should be taken into account that the hoard was located between two important
traffic roads of the 12th and 13th centuries. One of them was Gauja waterway, the other
one – road „Via magna” (the big road), mentioned in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia.
Both of them were used for trade between Western Europe and Russia. Although the
principal occupations of the Gauja Livs in the 11th–13th centuries were crop-growing,
cattle-breeding, artisan production and bee-keeping, trade played an important role,
where silver was used as equivalent to other goods. Probably, therefore, the hoard might
be accumulated by some merchant, jeweler or a wealthy man. In the 13th century, the
Gauja Livs had many reasons for hiding their property: crusade, foreys by Lithuanian
and Estonian tribes, etc.
Initially, the coins of the hoard and ornaments were supposedly located sepa-
rately. It is proved by the fact that coins are older than ornaments of the same hoard and
they have arrived here as a result of recurrent barter trade. Probably, the hoard has been
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