Work in the downtown Tartu park began at the end of April, and it quickly became clear that the ground held valuable material. Excavations have revealed, for example, a trade seal once attached to a package, showing Tartu's trade ties with foreign lands, as well as citizens' rings, ceramics and remnants of leatherwork. 

Tartu was one of old Livonia's wealthiest centers, crossed by important trade routes. As a result, the site has produced several unique coins never before found in Estonia. 

"For example, a couple of weeks ago we found a coin from Danish King Christopher II, which is the only one known in Estonia. There are several coins from the Low Countries that have never been discovered here before or have been found only as isolated examples. In terms of coins, this is a rich property," archaeologist Rivo Bernotas said. 

Excavations also uncovered an old well, which archaeologists dismantled. Beneath it they found a drainage or sediment barrel. "Since we are in a river‑adjacent area, moisture and water problems were likely constant. These barrels were built into the ground back then," Bernotas said. 

But the biggest surprise for archaeologists was a large pit — a previously unknown body of water whose dimensions and purpose are still unclear. 

"We expected a typical suburb with wooden buildings and wooden fences — and those are here — but the presence of some kind of body of water is new information for us," Bernotas said. As excavations continue, they hope to learn how large it was and where it led.

Tartu City Museum's head of archaeology, Arvi Haak, said on Siuru's social‑media page that rings came into use in Estonia no later than the Roman Iron Age. From the same period, the 3rd–5th centuries, the earliest locally known spiral rings made of twisted wire are recorded. Most have been found in burials, and they are especially common in Estonia and Latvia in the 10th–13th centuries. They were usually made of copper alloys, but gold, silver and even iron‑wire examples also occur.

The find that surfaced at the Siuru construction area, directly from the natural peat layer, is made of round‑section twisted wire. Seven coils have survived, along with an S‑shaped turned‑back terminal decoration that some researchers say resembles a snake's head. Rings with such terminals have been found in a few Estonian cemeteries dating to the early 10th–12th centuries, but more abundantly in Latvia, where they appear in both men's and women's graves. The Siuru find likely belongs to the same time period.

All finds uncovered during the work are cleaned, identified, conserved if necessary and eventually added to the Tartu City Museum collection. 

Siuru director Aavo Kokk said construction work is expected to begin in February or March of next year. The first stage, drilling piles around the building's perimeter, will begin before the excavations are finished. "Archaeologists will wait until the piles are done, and next summer they will finish their work to fully excavate the pit."

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