Location
State: Latvia
Region: Kurzeme
County: Nīca
Parish: Nīca
Other references to the location
In Pape Nature Park, in an underbrushy forest at the former Škiļi homestead, around 500 m from Graviņi homestead.
Coordinates
lat=56.21455, lon=21.0668166667
56° 12′ 52″ N, 21° 4′ 0″ E
Description
s”: 1) 35 x 14 cm, 2) 32 x 9 cm, 3) 12 x 4 cm, 4) 7 x 3.5 cm, in the W side: 1) 13.5 x 6 cm, 2) 10.5 x 6 cm, 3) 18 x 5 cm, NW corner: 1) 15 x 6.5 cm, 2) 3 x 2.5 cm, round, 3) 9 x 4.5 cm. The depth of all foot-prints is 1–3 cm. There are other small foot-print spots on the sides of the stone. The stone seems to be in its original place. A visually more interesting object is the linden with eight forked branches that grows next to the stone.
Narrative
An archeological monument protected by the state, a cult site. However, there are no clear evidences about both sites as ancient cult places. The stone could be defined as a foot-print stone. Within 8 metres there is a cluster of lindens which now has 6 forked branches — shoots. 2 m W from the linden cluster considered the Šķili Sacred Linden there is a heap of stones or a rectangular layer. This likely construction of stones covering the area of 5 x 3–3.5 m could be a cult site, foundations of a small building or simply a group of dumped stones because the heap seems to be at the end of an old access road. In the middle of the stone group there is a 0.4 m deep pit which might have been excavated by treasure seekers. Altogether the archeological significance of the sites in the vicinity of Šķili homestead is still to be clarified.
Attraction
Average
Availability
Easily accessible. At the Šķili linden there is an information sign which also mentions the stone. Walk approximately 500 m from the Grēviņi homestead along a small forest road which has been heavily dug up by wild boars. Difficult to find without a guide, appropriate footwear and clothes needed.
Infrastructure, management, facilities
There have been no facilitation and maintenance works performed within the territory. There is a small information sign.
Local info
On the site there is a wooden information sign with a rooflet under which there is a description of
Capacity
0 – 9
Publicity
Known
Legal Status
Private
Comments
The original information about the Šķili (Graviņi) ancient site comes from the reports by archeologist I.Loze in 1976 where it was said: „a cult site – the stone was found in the eastern coast of Pape Lake southwards from the Graviņi homestead. Nearby there are oaks and lindens which the native people call a shrine.” In 1994, however, V.Siksna expressed an assumption in the newspaper “Kursas laiks” that “about the Grēviņi foot-print stone it can only be mentioned that it most likely was the lord of the homestead as it lies in a direct vicinity of the former Šķili homestead.” In 1989 explorer J.Asaris tried to find evidences about the ancient site, however, he failed — “The owner of Graviņi homestead who has been living here for all his life (..) did not know any cult stone southwards from the homestead,” and “no traditions or legends are known about it in the surroundings.”
