In the 13th century, Tērvete was a mighty and powerful Semigallian centre and kings’ residence. It was ruled by the famous Semigallian kings – Viestards, Namejs (Nameisis, Nameiķis) and probably also by Šābis. The Tērvete Archaeological Complex includes Tērvete Hillfort with two castle-fronts, the hillock Svētais Kalns with the castle-front, the ancient town, hillock Putnu Kalns, hillock Klosterkalns and the Livonian Order Castle ruins. The hillfort was predominantly created and shaped during the 11th–13th centuries, a period of time during which Semigallians resisted the German Order. At that time, the hillfort enclosed a Semigallian wooden castle with protective structures, residential and farm buildings, as well as craft workshops. It has preserved the steep slopes and the rampart, one of the largest in the Baltic region. A unique piece of clay plaster found in Tērvete with the image of a piper is unique to the territory of Latvia. The history of the Tērvete Archaeological Complex is told in the nearby reconstructed version of Tērvete’s 12th Century Wooden Castle.
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