Antonija Vilcāne (born 1956[1]) is a medieval archaeologist from Latvia, who specialises in the study of Latgalian culture.[2][3] First excavated in 1939 by Francis Balodis (lv) and Elvīra Šņore (lv),[4] Vilcāne succeeded Evalds Mugurēvičs (lv) as the archaeologist leading excavation at Jersika hillfort (lv).[5] She has also led excavations at Anspoku and Drusku (lv) hillforts, at Turaida Museum Reserve, in the cemetery near the Preiļi manor chapel, amongst others.[6] She is an expert on the archaeology of whips and their handles, which are a particular feature of medieval Latvian material culture.[7]
Born in Preiļi, she led an exhibition to archaeologist Francis Zagorskis (lv), who worked there.[8] Finds from the burial site of Bučki, which she also excavated, are displayed at Preiļi Museum of History and Applied Arts.[6] She studied at the University of Latvia;[8] her PhD dissertation, which was awarded in 2001, was entitled "Dubnas baseina apdzīvotība un latgaļu kultūras veidošanās dzelzs laikmetā (1.–12. gs.)" ["The settlement of the Dubna basin and the formation of Latgalian culture during the Iron Age (1st–12th centuries)].[1]
Selected works
Pētersone-Gordina, Elīna, et al. "Diet and social status in the Lejasbitēni Iron Age population from Latvia." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 44 (2022): 103519.[9]
Kimsis, Janis, et al. "Application of natural sciences methodology in archaeological study of Iron Age burials in Latvia: pilot study." Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology (2022): 1-8.[10]
Vilcāne, Antonija. "Tenth to 11th century warrior burials with horse-trappings in the Latgallian area." Archaeologia Baltica 8 (2007): 273-282.[11]