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Foreword
Priekšvārds
9
8
izrakumus vadījis Turaidas muzeja speciālists Egils Jemeļjanovs. Protams, izrakumi ir tikai
redzamākā pētniecības procesa daļa. Tai seko senlietu apstrāde, konservācija un restaurācija,
ekspozīciju un tematisko izstāžu veidošana, neskaitāmas publikācijas, kuras top, izmantojot
muzeja krājumā esošo materiālu. Turaidas muzejā apskatāma ekspozīcija, kas stāsta par Gaujas
lībiešiem. Tā ir vienīgā tieši šai Baltijas somu grupai veltītā ekspozīcija.
Arheoloģiskais priekšmets, ja vien pēc izņemšanas no zemes ir nonācis pareizās rokās,
nav nedzīvs. Tieši pretēji – no nedzīva, materiāla priekšmeta tas kļūst par dzīvu pagātnes liecī-
bu, kurai ir savs stāsts. Katrs priekšmets ir kā gabaliņš lielajā mozaīkā, kura stāsta par tautu
vēsturiskajiem likteņiem. Katalogs “Baltu un Baltijas somu senlietas Turaidas muzejrezervāta
krājumā. 3. gadu tūkstotis pr. Kr. – 13. gadsimta pirmā puse” rāda priekšmetus, kas ļauj
restaurēt viena Latvijas reģiona vēsturi vairāk nekā četru gadu tūkstošu garumā. Ar kataloga
starpniecību senlietas kļūst pieejamākas gan pētniekiem, gan interesentiem kā Latvijā, tā arī
ārzemēs. Nav šaubu, ka tas palīdzēs ievīt vēl kādu jaunu dzīparu jau tā krāšņajā Turaidas no-
vada vēsturē.
Guntis Zemītis
,
Dr. hist., Latvijas Universitātes Latvijas vēstures institūta direktors
FOREWORD
Turaida Museum Reserve is situated in one of the most picturesque places of Latvia.
The museum staff, and first of all, Director Anna Jurkāne, always remind about the possible
origin of the name
Turaida
from the combination of Scandinavian words
God’s Garden
. Also,
the connection of Turaida with the Bishop’s Castle of Riga Archbishopric is manifest and
self-evident. This place is beautiful indeed – with the Gauja River meanders and woody banks
of the Gauja Valley. However, not only the beauty of nature has created the peculiar attracti-
veness of this spot. For centuries, people contributed to this, including those who established
their first settlements there and left their burial fields, and those who erected stone castles and
churches, built a luxurious estate complex, and the ones who studied the history of the region,
collected evidences of antiquity and preserved them for future generations.
In Turaida region, which implies the whole former territory of the Gauja or Turaida Livs,
including Sigulda, Krimulda, Inciems, Inčukalns, Ragana, Allaži, the destinies of two Latvia’s
basic ethnicities – Latvians and Livs – have intertwined tightly. Chronicles contain information
about the time beginning from the 12
th
century. It is a thrilling story about dramatic events,
bright and sometimes contradictory personalities – Kaupo, Ninnuss, Anno, Dabrelis, Vesiķis,
Teoderich. The “bravest of Latgallians”, Rūsiņš, passed away in a battle at Satesele Hillfort. The
list could be continued. Still, the history of the region is much more ancient and rich than that
described in chronicles and other written sources. Archaeological evidences reveal even
greater depths of ancient history – before the 3
rd
millennium BC, and the present catalogue is
dedicated to this account.
Turaida Museum Reserve and its predecessor, Sigulda Museum of Local Lore, have al-
ways dedicated a great effort to scientific work, including archaeological investigation. Under
the leadership of Director Anna Jurkāne, it has become one of the most prominent archaeolo-
gical centres in Latvia.
It is well known that science can flourish, provided it is purposefully directed, made open
and approachable. Turaida Museum has always decisively strived to further the studies of the
history of Turaida region in a wider context – that of the Baltic, Baltic Finnic, Latvian, and
European culture. The Museum’s team has never hesitated to attract researchers from other in-
stitutions. Over the years, lasting cooperation continues with the Institute of Latvian History,
and first of all, with the outstanding archaeologist Jānis Graudonis, who was the leader of ex-