Repositories

The records stored at the Repository of Archaeological Materials, constituting a corpus of sources on the ancient, prehistoric and early modern history of the Latvian people, amassed in the course of 75 years of archaeological research, may be regarded as a national treasure of Latvian history. The repository contains Latvia’s largest collection of drawn plans from archaeological excavations (28 553 items), a collection of excavation reports (more than 1353 items), a collection of primary documentation (more than 2052 items), a collection of photographic negatives (more than 230 000 images), etc.

The role of the Repository of Archaeological Material is to preserve the archaeological records, facilitate the study of these records, create databases covering the collections and provide the conditions for utilisation of the material for research purposes. The material held in the repository has a significance going beyond the national context of Latvia. Thus, it provides the basis for major publications in Latvia and internationally, presentations at national and international conferences, as well as students’ term papers and bachelors, masters and doctoral theses. It is utilised in order to ascertain the limits of archaeological sites, create various exhibitions and for other purposes.

Contacts:

Address:  Room 110, 110A at the Academic Library of the University of Latvia, Rūpniecības iela 10,  Rīga, LV-1010., phone: +371 67033952

Head of the Repository: Silvija Tilko, email: silvija.tilko@lu.lv, tilkosilvija@inbox.lv

Enija Zaķe, keeper of collections, email: enija.zake@lu.lv

The Repository of Bioarchaeological Material of the Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia holds anthropological, palaeozoological and soil science material. The palaeoanthropological material, constituting 133 collections, covers the inhabitants of Latvia during a period of nine thousand years, from the Stone Age up to the 18th century, with remains of 5600 individuals. There are also 35 zooarchaeological collections and three collections of soil and charcoal samples.

Contacts:

Address: Kalpaka bulvāris 4, Rīga LV-1050, basement; Lielvārdes iela 24 – 314. telpa, Rīga, LV-1006

Head of the Repository: Gunita Zariņa, Dr. hist. Senior Researcher, phone: +371 67034872, email: gunitaz@latnet.lv 

Anna Batraga, Keeper of collections, email: anna.batraga@lu.lv

The Repository of Ethnographic Material of the Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia, holds an extensive corpus of written ethnographic primary sources on traditional culture. This is a unique and diverse set of culture-historical material accumulated in the course of ethnographic fieldwork undertaken by researchers from the Institute of Latvian History since 1947: field notes, graphic material, photographic negatives, photographs, documents and copies of documents. The repository has (primarily) material relating to folk traditional material culture and lifeways in rural Latvia, for example vernacular architecture, household items, tools, rural transport, fabrics, dress, food and various occupations: agriculture, animal husbandry, crafts, fishing, etc. 

List of Collections.

Contacts:

Address: Rūpniecības iela 10., Room 114., Rīga, LV-1010

Head of the Repository: Ilze Boldāne-Zeļenka, Dr.hist.
phone +371 26593299, email: ilze.boldane-zelenkova@lu.lv

Keepers of collections:

Lilita Vanaga, Dr. hist. h. c.
email: lilita.vanaga@lu.lv   

Ilze Ulmane
email: ilze.ulmane@lu.lv 

The Dendrochronological Laboratory of the Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia, is currently the only research unit in Latvia engaged in dendro-dating of timbers from historical structures and developing long absolute tree-ring chronologies. This work has been undertaken since the beginning of the 1990s, mainly involving preserved historic timbers from Latvia. Up to 2022, a total of 165 wooden structures from 70 sites have been absolutely dated at the laboratory. Most of the wooden structures so far dated have been discovered in the course of archaeological excavation (primarily in Old Riga, as well as in Cēsis, Jelgava, Ventspils, Krustpils and Āraiši). Also dated are structures preserved on various architectural sites in Old Riga, Aizpute, Āraiši, Bauska, Cēsis, Gaujiena, Liepāja, Ludza, Rundāle, Sigulda, Turaida, Valmiera and Ventspils. 

The Dendrochronological Laboratory maintains close contacts with several dendro-labs in other countries of Europe. Practical collaboration with colleagues in Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom has proved very important for dating and sourcing timber that has been exported or floated over long distances. Practical work has begun to re-format and prepare the dendrochronological information obtained at the laboratory for inclusion in databases in Latvia and abroad.

Contacts:

Address: Kalpaka bulvāris 4, Rīga LV-1050, Room 123.

Head of the laboratory: Māris Zunde, Dr. biol.
Phone +371 67034871, email: maris.zunde@lu.lv 

National Oral history archive created since 1992, this collection highlights Latvia's restored independence and the desire of many individuals to share their hidden experiences. The collection contains approximately 5,000 life story interviews conducted in various regions of Latvia and abroad, spanning the 20th and 21st centuries. The name of the national collection signifies its connection to the state of Latvia, regardless of the storyteller's nationality or the country in which they reside. The collection is organized into separate repositories dating the origins of the interviews. The collection also contains interviews conducted during expeditions by FH UL students and researchers.

The collection was created during oral history research at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at FH UL in colaboration with the "Lifestory", Association of Latvian Oral History Researchers. 

Contacts:

Address: Kalpaka bulvāris 4, Rīga LV-1050.
E-mail: mutvarduvesture@gmail.com.