Settlement of Araiši Lake as an archaeological site known from 1876 onwards. Later (1959-1964), and when such settlements were found at 9 lakes in Vidzeme is the Āraiši were selected for extensive archaeological excavations. Archeological expedition of the Institute of history of Latvia under the direction of j. Apalsa for 10 field seasons (1965-1969 ad 1975-1979 Gg.) examined three quarters of 2500 sq.m. square Lake settlement, as well as the road connecting it to the shore of the Lake.
The castle is built on a lake and not on a hill, which in area of Araiši enough, due to the conditions of the era. The fact of the matter is that latgalians in 9 were strangers in the area, and it is crucial for them as quickly as possible to build a fortified settlement. Because performance woodworking tools was much higher than the wooden shovels, lukošek from the bark, etc., used for digging and moving of the Earth, the Lake Castle can be built faster than arrange the settlement. First Araiši Lake Castle was built in just 4 years.
Lake Castle was situated in the middle of the Lake Arajsu (Latvia) from the 9th to 10th centuries, and was abandoned by residents already at the time of the arrival of the Crusaders (which happened at the end of the 12nd century). However, modern scholars have restored it from obscurity. At the end of the 20th century, in the same place in real size was reconstructed first, the oldest and best preserved building of Arajšskogo Lake Castle, created around 830 g.
The excavations revealed that the Arajšskoe Lakes settlement built and lived in it in 9-10 centuries. the community is the largest of the 1880s after the ancient Latvian tribes. The settlement was located on the basest, grit Lake island and was strengthened as the stronghold. The cultural layer in the wet well preserved remains of wooden structures, which made it possible to restore the layout of the settlement as a whole, as well as design features individual buildings. The cultural layer of settlement contained 5 consecutive building horizons without chronological gaps.
Lake Village Park of Āraiši is so extensively studied and reconstructed archaeological site of this kind in the North-East of Europe. Wet cultural layer has preserved not only the buildings, but also many items made of organic materials (wood, birch bark BASt), among which there are findings of an important scientific and cultural and historical value.
With this in mind, it was decided to reconstruct Lake settlement, as the Foundation of the archeologic Museum under the open sky. For reconstruction was selected the oldest, best preserved complex of buildings 9 century. Reconstitution of settlement is ongoing. The lower parts of the buildings are restored as preserved copies of original structures; top buildings reconstructed on the basis of the found in the occupational layer construction parts, ethnographic Parallels, as well as based on constructive logic structure. Thus, the reconstruction of the Arajšskogo Lake settlements has a high degree of historical accuracy.
