The concrete bunker built in an ancient fort

Why would anyone put a concrete bunker in the middle of an ancient fort? In 1915, the answer was probably quite simple, even if the current view is a bit of a mess. The Lentainių piliakalnis (also known as Kleboniškis) sits on a high terrace of the Niers River, housing an oval courtyard that measures about 23 by 15 metres.

Here is the strange part: a concrete bunker was built right in the center of that ancient site in 1915. To make room for it, the earth from the northwest rampart was dug out and used as filler. Now, there is a 4-metre high pit of polystyrene in the courtyard where the history used to be.

It is a bit of a puzzle. Archaeologists think the fort itself dates back to the first millennium. A man named Liudvikas Kšivickis poked around in 1911 and found nothing. Then, Russian officials supposedly dug at the top before World War I. What exactly they were looking for remains a mystery.

Today, you can still see the massive 30-metre high slopes and the tiered terraces. It is a wild mix of prehistoric defense and modern military leftovers. If you enjoy history that is literally layered on top of itself, this is a strange spot to visit.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons