Skimming the Nemunas riverbank, a triangular mound catches your eye, known by the names Dovainonių or Kapitoniškių castle. This historical site, shrouded in plain sight, features slopes ranging from 9 to 15 meters in height. Part of the hillfort was washed away by the Nemunas and the Kaunas lakes. What remains is one-third of the courtyard, measuring 23 meters long and 13 meters wide in the northern part, and 6 meters in the western part. In the northeastern corner of the courtyard stands a wall one meter high and five meters wide at the base.
A 23-meter-long coastal terrace, measuring 4 to 7 meters wide, continues about 2 to 3 meters below the surface in the western part of the hillfort's courtyard. This terrace is separated from the hillfort by a 10-meter-wide gully at the top and a 2-meter-deep gully below. It is believed that this site may have been the castle or the outer bailey of Dovainonių.
Archaeological evidence dates the site from the beginning of the 1st millennium to the 13th century. The hillfort was destroyed and burned several times, and it was reinforced and raised with wooden structures on seven separate occasions. Excavations have revealed titnago artifacts, an iron arrowhead, items with molded, rough, and smooth surfaces, and coarse pottery. Today, the finds are protected by the National Museum of Lithuania.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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