The Historical Waterfront Revetments of Rīga in the Light of Dendrochronological Dating

Abstract

In the course of archaeological excavations and supervision work in the historical centre of Rīga (Old Rīga), revetments built at various times along the former River Rīga or Rīdzene have so far been discovered in at least 11 sites, and revetments along the bank of the River Daugava have been found in at least three sites. The absolute age of stretches of revetment along both banks of the River Rīga (Rīdzene) and along the right bank of the River Daugava, discovered in the course of recent archaeological excavations, has been determined using the dendrochronological dating method. This article brings together the results obtained thus far in the dating of these structures. Although only some of the discovered stretches of historical waterfront have been dated, this information has given a significantly more precise picture of the building history of the waterfronts along the banks of both rivers, and thus also of the development of the historical ports of Rīga. This indicates the importance and necessity of continuing this research.