Ancient Europe, Northeast Europe, 11 LATVIA: Roman Period (50-400)

The inhabitants during this period were primarily tribal societies that later formed the basis of the Latvian nation, comprising distinct Baltic and Finno-Ugric cultures. The Brushed (Scratched) Pottery Culture (1100-00-500) was dominant among the ancestors of the Selonians (central), Latgalians (east), and Semigallians (south). This tradition was distinct from the Indo-European Curonians to the west and the Finno-Ugric Livs along the Gulf of Riga. These sedentary societies practiced agriculture, cattle breeding, and fishing. As iron-working knowledge spread, craftsmanship and farming advanced significantly.

Although direct contact with the Roman Empire was limited, its influence arrived via the Amber Road (an ancient trade route extending primarily from the central north coast of Europe through to the Mediterranean Sea). The Aestii (a collective name used by Tacitus for Baltic coastal tribes) traded local amber – valued by Romans more than gold – for manufactured goods and coins.

Burial customs were regionally distinct. Early tarand graves (rectangular, stone-walled enclosures filled with a mixture of stone, soil, and cremated remains) appeared around the mid-1st century AD in northern Kurzeme (west) and northern Vidzeme (north), often containing bronze ornaments like eye brooches and neck rings with trumpet ends, similar to Baltic Finnic areas. In the southeast (Latgale) and southwest Kurzeme, barrows (earthen mounds) were more common. While inhumation was traditional, cremation became increasingly frequent in the southwest.

Roman coins found in hoards and graves confirm active trade. This inflow spanned several centuries; while many finds date to the 2nd-century reign of Marcus Aurelius, the earliest coins in the region date back to the 1st century AD.