Ancient Europe, Northeast Europe, 11 LATVIA (Founded: 18.11.1918): Neolithic Period (5400-1800 BC)

The Early Neolithic in Latvia is characterised by a sub-neolithic way of life, i.e. rather than transitioning to full-scale agriculture, populations adopted pottery while maintaining an economy that was entirely reliant on hunting (elk, red deer, wild boar), gathering (water chestnuts, etc.), and intensive fishing (remains of complex wooden fishing weirs/fences have been found in the River Užava). People lived in semi-sedentary or permanent lakeside and riverbank settlements, such as those around Lake Burtnieks and Lake Lubāns.

The Kunda culture was succeeded by the Narva culture (5300-1750 BC), sedentary hunter-fisher-gatherers associated with the earliest pottery in Latvia. This pottery was hand-built, often using organic temper like crushed snail shells, and fired without a kiln. The Narva were known for using and trading amber, with artefacts including ceremonial canes carved from bone or horn. The early Narva ware was found at major sites like the Iča settlement in the Lake Lubāns wetlands.

The Middle Neolithic in Latvia (4100–2900 BC) saw the continued dominance of hunter-gatherer lifestyles alongside the introduction of early pottery and specialized stone tools. The landscape was dominated by rich boreal forests and wetlands, offering extensive resources for foraging. While the first traces of wheat, barley, and animal husbandry appeared, hunting, fishing, and gathering remained the primary modes of subsistence.

Initially, the Narva culture prevailed, later shifting under the heavy influence of the Pit-Comb Ware culture (3900-2900 BC). This era marked a transition toward sedentism, with semi-subterranean dwellings clustered near water sources like Lake Lubāns. While flint and bone tools remained standard, amber processing flourished in coastal regions. Burial practices also evolved, moving toward collective graves and the inclusion of diverse grave goods.

The Late Neolithic in Latvia is defined by the arrival of the Corded Ware culture (2900-1800 BC) and a gradual transition from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settled farming. This culture provided the genetic and linguistic foundation for the Baltic peoples – the Indo-European ancestors of modern Latvians and Lithuanians. These new arrivals integrated with or displaced the indigenous Finnic-speaking Narva and Pit-Comb Ware cultures.

The Corded Ware culture (CWC), often identified in the Eastern Baltic as the Battle Axe or Boat Axe culture, brought new funerary practices, technology, and social structures that were distinctly different from preceding local societies. The name Battle Axe (or Boat Axe) comes from characteristic perforated stone battle axes buried with males.

Burials typically positioned the body in a crouched position; common patterns saw men on their right side and women on their left, both facing south. Large-scale amber-working centres developed, notably in the Lake Lubāns Depression, trading amber as far as southern Europe.