Archaeological studies in Kabala medieval manor house

Excavations at Kabala village in northern Estonia in 2025 provided evidence for medieval origin of the manor house, confirming an earlier hypothesis. Observations during foundation waterproofing, together with a survey of the basement and ground-floor structures, showed that the present long rectangular building, built of limestone, has developed through several phases and incorporates remains of a medieval house with a rather different size and form. The most likely medieval core is a square cellar complex in the eastern part of the house, similar in layout to a few other medieval manors in Estonia. Remains of two small protruding structures, probably towers, were identified: foundations of a round structure, supposedly once a corner tower and a rectangular structure with rounded corners, embedded within later walls with its small chamber with a cross vault. Finds include a few fragments of glazed stove tiles from the 17th century. A fragment of a profiled mullion of dolomite comes from a large window of a late medieval representative room. Although the chronology, building stages, the medieval form and architectural details remain uncertain, this field study raises it among the dozen better preserved medieval manor houses in Estonia.