Ancient hillfort with a settlement at its base - Klaipėda's hidden historical

A hill fort, or Žardės piliakalnis, is located in the territory of Klaipėdas city municipality, near Žardininkų and Žardė villages. It is located in a separate hill, to the right of Smeltalė river. The hill rises about 30 meters, is up to 1.5 meters high, 15 meters wide, with a ditch on the right side, especially prominent in the southern part. The hill fort was built using stone and earth, with wooden and log structures, the central part of the hill being known as the High Hill, while the left part is called the Hill of Laistai.

On a plot of 12.6 hectares around the hillfort, a settlement dating from the XI to XIII centuries can be found. The settlement has remnants of a cultural layer with clay, stone, and iron artifacts, remnants of tile, ceramics, bone fragments, and other artifacts. In 1253, a castle called Žardė stood on the hillfort. The hill fort dates from the I millennium BC to the XIII century.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons