A 14th-century hill fort built to block Veliuona Castle

The Veliuonos II hill fort, also known as Pilaitės or Bajerburgas, is located in the western part of Veliuona. Situated in a valley, the site consists of two main mounds that were built on a slight elevation. Over time, the river has eroded large portions of the southern sides of these mounds. The eastern mound measures 16x18 m, while the western mound is larger, measuring 24x10 m, though much of it has been washed away toward the north-east.

Excavations conducted in 1965 by Adolfas Tautavičius revealed the remains of a burned building in the eastern mound. This structure was at least two stories high, with the upper floor containing a fireplace. The walls were constructed from vertical pillars 25-40 cm thick, joined by horizontal wooden pegs and covered with clay. The interior of the walls was made of sawn timber. Archaeologists found a cultural layer 1.3 m thick containing stones, tiles, and various iron objects, including keys, scissors, and pottery.

Among the charred remains of the building, researchers discovered approximately 900 arrowheads, four bowstring arrowheads, and several stone projectiles. Other finds include iron rings, axes, two small chisels, cylindrical locks, keys, a divider, knives, and fragments of glass cups and ivory chess pieces. The hill fort is dated to the 14th century and served as a defense to block the castle at Veliuona. It was soon attacked and burned by Lithuanians.

Today, the site is covered in overgrown trenches left by archaeological research. The fortifications include several ditches and embankments, some of which were reinforced with clay. The mounds rise 7-8 m from the riverbank on steep slopes, remaining as a physical record of the medieval fortifications.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons