A 3-hectare settlement and ramparts on Budeliai hillfort

Budelių piliakalnis, also known as Skarbo kalnas, is a hillfort and settlement located in the Kaišiadorys district. Situated on the left bank of the Neris river, the site dates back to between the 1st millennium and the beginning of the 2nd millennium. It features a rectangular courtyard measuring 24 by 13 metres, oriented east to west.

The fortification is defined by massive embankments and ditches. On the western edge of the courtyard is a 6-metre high, 30-metre wide rampart with a 9.5-metre high outer slope and an 11-metre wide, 0.5-metre deep ditch. The eastern side features a 0.7-metre high, 15-metre wide rampart, followed by an 11-metre wide, 1.5-metre high second rampart. This second structure has a slope descending into a 4-metre wide, 0.5-metre deep second ditch, leading to a third rampart that rises 0.5 metres high. The side slopes of the hillfort reach heights of up to 25-26 metres.

Archaeological research conducted in 1921 and 1971 identified a 3-hectare settlement on the western slope of the hillfort. Excavations in this area yielded both handmade and molded ceramics, as well as flint. While local folklore persists that a treasure is hidden within the hillfort, the site is currently a protected cultural monument, covered in bushes and grass.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons