In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the Lithuanian national liberation movement, interest in the history of old Lithuania and its monuments peaked. Amateurs investigated hill-forts and cemeteries. These amateurs rarely saved artefacts or data from their excavations. One exception was the priest Juozapas Žiogas, who investigated over ten archaeological sites. Fr Žiogas formed an extensive archaeological collection, which is now held in the Aušra Museum in Šiauliai.