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Around 3000 BCE, the proto-Baltic ancestors of the Latvian people settled on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.[19] The Balts established trade routes to Rome and Byzantium, trading local amber for precious metals.[20] By 900 CE, four distinct Baltic tribes inhabited Latvia: Curonians, Latgalians, Selonians, Semigallians (in Latvian: kurši, latgaļi, sēļi and zemgaļi), as well as the Livonians (lībieši) speaking a Finnic language. The Medieval period[edit] Main articles: Terra Mariana, Livonian Crusade and Northern Crusades Terra Mariana, medieval Livonia Turaida Castle near Sigulda, built in 1214 under Albert of Riga In 1282, Riga became a member of the Hanseatic League Although the local people had contact with the outside world for centuries, they were more fully integrated into European society in the 12th century.[21] The first missionaries, sent by the Pope, sailed up the Daugava River in the late 12th century, seeking converts.[22] The local people, however, did not convert to Christianity as readily as hoped.[22] German crusaders were sent into Latvia to convert the population from their original pagan beliefs by force of arms.[23] In the beginning of the 13th century, large parts of today's Latvia were ruled by Germans.[22] Together with Southern Estonia, these conquered areas formed the crusader state that became known as Terra Mariana or Livonia. In 1282, Riga, and later the cities of Cēsis, Limbaži, Koknese and Valmiera, were included in the Hanseatic League.[22] Riga became an important point of east-west trading[22] and formed close cultural contacts with Western Europe |
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