Pypliai Hillfort: An Iron Age Mystery Uncovered in Kauno rajono savivaldybės

Pypliai Hillfort: An Iron Age Mystery Uncovered in Kauno rajono savivaldybės

A little-known Iron Age hillfort in Lithuania, featuring a unique square ditch and a surprising fortified plateau.

The Pypliai Hillfort, also known as Pilėnai hillfort, lies hidden in Kauno rajono savivaldybės territory, near Pypliai, Ringaudų seniūnija. Located on the Jurado Griaus hillside, it boasts a square shape with a ditch measuring 32x23.5 meters. The corners of the hillfort are marked by 6-meter-deep, 23-meter-wide, and 8-meter-high ditches. The centers of the hillfort feature a 17-meter-wide and 1.5-meter-deep plateau, topped with a 1.5-meter-high ramp constructed using wooden stakes. As time passes, these stakes erode. The ditches are filled with soil. The hillfort, shrouded in mystery, dates back to the Iron Age. (The Pypliai Hillfort was declared a national cultural monument by the Lithuanian Cultural Heritage department on 2005-04-29.)

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nicolo Ciampini

Discuss this with the author and others

No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.