Salaspils (population 21,106 in the census of 2000, known as Kircholm until 1917), is a city 18 km south-east of Riga in Latvia, on the northern bank of Daugava river. Salaspils is one of the oldest settlements in Latvia. Archaeological excavations of 1964-1975 (during the construction of Riga HES) in ancient settlements, burial grounds and castle mounds give evidence of very dense population of the region. During the excavations which were the largest in the history of Latvian archaeology, on the right bank of the Daugava the oldest ever known settlement of indigenous Latvians – Salaspils Laukskola (Country School of Salaspils) was found. 11,000 years ago reindeer hunters had settled there. From the 10th to 15th century, the site was settled by the Livonian and Baltic tribes.