Excavations around the Valjala fortress are now continuing, and new discoveries are being made by exploring the rampart surrounding the current fortress to the south.
Here, too, there has been a massive rampart, 3-4 m wide, with what appears to be an earlier and more modest rampart underneath, and in any case a clear cultural layer. So far, no pottery has been found here on the southern border, but we did find a sickle and a silver spike sewn on cloth or leather in the lower cultural layer.
We can now say with some certainty that the earlier fortress of Valjala was larger than Varbola. Judging by the pottery and finds, it was active sometime in the late Iron Age, the Viking Age or the 11th-12th centuries, but more precise dating is still awaiting laboratory samples. In any case, a massive stone and clay wall was built over this earlier part at some time.
Excavations will continue for a few more days this year.
