Jersika

an ancient economic, political, and cultural center of the Latgali tribe, mentioned in the Livonian Chronicle of Henry of Latvia (13th century). Vsevolod, the prince of Jersika, was a vassal of the prince of Polotsk. The remains of Jersika, consisting ofagorodishche (site of a fortified town), an adjoining selishche (site of an unfortified town), and a burial ground, are situated on the right bank of the Daugava River in Preili Raion, Latvian SSR. On the site of the fortified town (100 x 75 m), in levels of the tenth through 13th centuries, the excavations of F. Balodis (1939) uncovered the remains of log dwellings with adobe stoves as well as handi-craft workshops. The discovery of a number of imported objects, including small crosses, testifies to active links that existed between Jersika and Polotsk and other Russian cities.