Preventive Archaeology in Latvia: example investigations in the historical town centres on Kuldīga and Ventspils

This article deals with preventive archaeology issues in the Republic of Latvia. Legislative bacground provides presence of archaeologists in construction projects. During last decade in the Latvia the largest share of carried out archaeological fieldwork are archaeological supervisions. Despite of small scale rescue excavations and archaeological supervisions significant archaeological data has been collected on further investigations on historical development of ancient towns. As examples are presented the most interesting discoveries in the two towns located in the Western part of the Latvia – Kuldīga and Ventspils. Archaeological investigations of the town streets in Kuldīga, carried out by M. Lūsēns, supplemented the reconstruction and localization of old Kuldīga, mostly based on information found in written sources. Small-scale preventive archaeological projects that have taken place in the seaside town Ventspils has resulted in a study of A.Vijups on the impact of dune erosion processes on historical development of town.