Archaeologists in Latvia have discovered the remains of amber-inlaid solar sledges at a Bronze Age site near the Daugava River. These wooden sledges, adorned with hundreds of polished amber discs arranged in sunburst patterns, were likely used in ceremonial processions across frozen lakes during the winter solstice. The find provides the earliest physical evidence for the Ziemassvētki, the ancient Baltic precursor to modern Yule celebrations.
The Latvian Academy of Sciences noted that the sledges were found with the remains of spruce branches and charred beeswax, suggesting that light and evergreen symbols were central to these 3,000-year-old festivities. This discovery reshapes our understanding of how early Baltic tribes used the 'Gold of the North' (amber) to facilitate the symbolic return of the sun during the darkest days of the year.