The 184 metre trench of Švedkalnis

At Šiuraičių piliakalnis, also called Švedkalnis, the history of the area is preserved in the soil. This archaeological site is a hillfort defined by massive trenches and terraces carved into a slope about 11 metres high along the left bank of the Gelžupa river.

The site features an oval courtyard measuring 22 by 14 metres. It is guarded by a rampart 1 metre high and 5 metres wide on the southeast - northwest axis. Further into the slope, a second trench 3.5 metres wide and 1 metre deep sits 4-6 metres below the courtyard. Behind it is a second rampart 184 metres long and 6 metres wide, with a terrace 3-5 metres wide on the southeast slope.

In the northern slope, a second trench 5.5 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep is located 6.5 metres below the courtyard. This is followed by a 10-metre wide terrace and a third trench 9 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep. Archaeological research from 1964 dates the fort from the first millennium to the 13th century.

Today, the site is located in the Rietavas municipality near the village of Šiuraičiai. The area is overgrown with small oaks that have begun to grow among the old earthworks. Just 300 metres to the west lies a second hillfort, Šiuraičių II, which features a settlement at its western foot.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons