Site of a 14th-century watchtower in Rukla

Ruklos piliakalnis, also known as Koplyčkalnis, is a hillfort located in the northern outskirts of the town of Rukla. The site sits on a plateau formed by the valley of a river and a nameless stream. The triangular plateau measures 8 meters long and 6 meters wide at its southeastern edge. A mound of earth, 2 meters high and 13 meters wide, was built here, behind which lies a 10-meter wide trench that is 1 meter deep.

The hillfort suffered significant damage from soldiers during the Soviet era, who dug a large pit in the center of the plateau and built a small warehouse in the mound. During archaeological research, these areas were filled in and the warehouse was dismantled. Today, the site is a cultural monument featuring benches and paths leading down to the river valley. A portion of the hillfort was demolished to make way for garages opposite the site.

In 1997, Gintautas Zabiela investigated the remains and found evidence that a wooden structure stood on this spot in the 14th century. It is likely that a watchtower stood here, as researchers found a post-hole with a diameter of 23 cm and a depth of 2.3 meters. While nearby settlements were destroyed for military zones, this plateau remains a preserved historical site with stairs installed in the place of a path that ran on the southern slope.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons