The earliest people settled in the territory of Latvia when the last ice sheet had melted and the first simple flora and fauna had developed. This happened right at the end of the Palaeolithic (8,500–7,600 BC). These were hunter-fishers who came from the south, following the migrating herds of reindeer. They established their settlements at the highest locations on riverbanks and lakeshores. At these sites, ancient flint weapons and tools are found. The earliest inhabitants belonged to the ancient Northern European race.
Ilga Zagorska. The Earliest Settlement of Latvia. In: PACT, Environmental and Cultural History of the Eastern Baltic Region.- Rixsensart (Belgium), 1999. Vol. 57. P. 131–156.