Kilakastalen

Kilakastalen, a kastal ruin, is located near Kilaån about three kilometers southwest of Nyköping. This fort was built to protect and defend the inlet to the waterway in Kiladalen. The kastal ruin is up to two meters high. The stonework is of gray stone laid directly on the mountain and mortared with lime. Ivar Schnell discovered the kastal ruin in 1944 when it was completely overgrown.

Schnell initially interpreted the building as medieval. The kastal ruin is located in a fortified area that also includes terraces and remains of a house foundation. The first archaeological excavation took place in 1951, and the kastal's character was identified and dated to the 1100s. In 1953, excavations were conducted around the kastal, and the tower was largely emptied in the hope of finding artifacts. Archaeological excavations conducted by Sörmlands Museum in 2007 revealed the remains of a timbered building near the kastal ruin.

Findings from 2007 were dated to the high medieval period. In 2012, the museum conducted another excavation to clarify the relationship between the kastal and the medieval Nyköping.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons