Quantitative Analysis and Predictive Modelling of 10th–13th-Century CE Hillforts in Eastern Latvia

Hillforts are important cultural landscape elements in the history of Latvian Bronze and Iron Age research. Hillfort research has expanded significantly since the proliferation of LiDAR-derived digital elevation models (DEM). This paper analyses factors influencing hillfort placement using free software and accessible datasets, focussing on 10th to 13th-century CE hillforts in eastern Latvia. Furthermore, study establishes a statistical basis for identifying the main determinants of hillfort location, which were then applied to create several logistic regression models. Finally, these models were compared to identify the most effective input combination for hillfort detection.