The INHILLDAUGAR project: research questions and approaches to investigating fortifications on communication routes

The Daugava River has been one of the most important traffic arteries in the Eastern Baltic region. The establishment of more than 30 hillforts alongside this river reflects the importance of this waterway. Most of these hillforts are understudied. Thus, the bigger picture regarding the hillforts’ inhabitation patterns, chronology, environment, and function(s) remain unknown. As such, the INHILLDAUGAR project seeks to systematically analyze the river’s landscape on a macro scale by combining palaeoenvironmental, archaeological, and linguistic studies. This article presents the genesis of the INHILLDAUGAR project and preliminary results from the 2022 and 2023 field campaigns. Overall, nine hillforts were studied by using non-invasive and minimally invasive field techniques (including geomagnetic surveys, drillings, and test pits). Additionally, geological and geomorphological investigations were undertaken in the vicinity of these sites. Samples obtained from the archaeological and geological investigations provided data for further palaeoenvironmental studies and shed light on the chronology of the sites.