The ancient enigma of Bražuolės piliakalnis, known as Kapčias

Deep in the countryside of Trakai, Bražuolės piliakalnis, also known as Kapčias, stands as a significant archaeological site. The hillfort is surrounded on all sides by a river valley and adjacent slopes, with the slopes reaching heights of 15 to 25 meters. On the southeast edge, where the slope is gentler, there is a rammed wall about 130 meters long with an outer slope about 9 meters high. The courtyard, stretching 210 meters from south to north, is 110 meters wide at the southern end and 95 meters wide at the northern end. The site covers about 2 hectares, with a rammed wall around the edges measuring about 440 meters long, 2.5 meters high, and 10 to 15 meters wide. A transverse rammed wall once divided the courtyard into two parts, though the walls have since been disturbed by plowing.

Archaeological investigations began in 1955 with a reconnaissance by the Institute of History. In 1972, archaeologists from the Council for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, led by Vytautas Daugudis, conducted archaeological excavations. Earlier, in 1850, Adomas Honoris Kirkoras excavated the settlement, and in 1999, Zenonas Baubonis conducted further research. During these works, an area of about 100 square meters was investigated, and a section of the rammed wall was examined. The excavations revealed four cultural layers.

Among the findings in the lower layers were remains of wooden defensive structures and walls, decorated with carved, rough, and smoothed surfaces, along with coarse ceramics and animal bones. The upper layer features a 3-meter-high rammed wall with a double wooden defensive wall, tower foundations, and remains of a long defensive outbuilding. Dating from the late pagan era to the end of the 14th century, the site is protected by the Lithuanian National Museum. It was declared a cultural monument by a Lithuanian Republic Government decision on May 19, 1998, under number 612.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons