The 1365 siege of the Mindaugo sostas settlement

Mindaugo sostas, also known as Kernavė II or Aukuro kalnas, is a fortified settlement located on the right bank of the Neris River in the Kernavė cultural reserve. The site sits in a natural ravine that is 11 metres deep and 50 metres wide. It features an irregular courtyard measuring 57 by 24.5 metres, with a 5-metre high embankment at its northern end.

Archaeological evidence shows that humans lived in this area starting in the mid-1st millennium, with pottery found from the 1st to the 14th centuries. Most of the fortifications were likely built by the 14th century. During this time, the site contained wooden buildings with stoves and a defensive wall made of large stones and timber reinforced with clay.

In 1365, the settlement was burned during an attack. The resulting ash layer was filled with 0.5 to 1.5 metres of sand and then leveled with 0.3 to 0.8 metres of clay. Today, the site is preserved as a cultural monument. Visitors can see the remnants of the irregular courtyard and the stabilized slopes of the eastern section, which were restored after a collapse in 1979.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons