The Hillfort of Senosios Įpilties

Senosios Įpilties piliakalnis ir gyvenvietė, also known as Įpilties or Pilies kalnas, is located on the outskirts of the Kretingos rajono territory in the village of Senosios Įpilties. It sits on the right bank of the Įpiltis river, west of road 218 Kretinga–Skuodas, and 11 km north of Darbėnai, near a former water mill pond. It is considered one of the most beautiful and impressive hillforts in Žemaitija.

On the slopes opposite the settlement, to the northwest of the hillfort on the Šventosios slope, remain the burial mounds and village cemeteries known as Karių kapeliai or Maro kapeliai. At the confluence of the Įpiltis and Graistupis rivers lies the Aukuro akmuo and the Marijos kalnelis hillfort. The hillfort is situated in a valley that cuts into the hill from the northeast, east, and south. The slopes are built with walls 6–10 meters high. The oval courtyard measures 60×40 meters and is rimmed by a embankment that reaches 8–10 meters high and 36–40 meters wide in the northwest, and 3 meters high and 15 meters wide on the pond side. A decorative sculpture of ‘Kuršis’ by Raimundas Puškorius stands in the southern part near the hillfort.

Archaeological excavations in 1933–1934 covered an area of 1000 m², uncovering pottery, iron arrowheads, and a silver longsword. A tunnel 8 meters long, 3 meters wide, and 1.8 meters high was found in the western part of the hillfort, featuring walls of pine log columns with 25-40 cm diameter bark and a stone-paved floor. The name of the location first appeared in a 1253 document regarding the division of lands, where it was noted that the area belonged to the Livonian Order. In 1263, the castle was taken and burned by the crusaders. In 2007, a sculptural composition titled 'Alka' by Ieva Vasauskienė and Alfredas Gytis Tiškus was installed in the western part of the settlement.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons