High atop the Šešuvis riverbank: the secret hillfort of Papilės kalnu

High atop the Šešuvis riverbank, hidden behind a steep slope, lies a hillfort known locally as Papilės kalnu. This hill, at least 7–9 meters high, has a plateau on its top. In 1956, archaeologists uncovered a stone layout of 16x9 meters within which they found a pottery furnace and human bones. The hillfort was used in the first century AD and the early Middle Ages. Today, it is cared for by the Lithuanian National Museum, and archaeologist Gintautas Zabiela believes that the fortress on Papilės kalnas could have been Pilėnai castle in the 14th century. In the woods behind it, this hidden hillfort remains a well-kept secret.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons