Jadagonių piliakalnis sits on a promontory where the Nemunas river flows. The site is situated on a peninsula with slopes reaching 15 to 30 metres in height. On top of the hill is an oval courtyard measuring 40 by 15 metres, which contains remains of a cultural layer.
Archaeologists have identified two defensive lines on the southern side of the courtyard. One features a 3-metre-high rampart and a 1.5-metre-deep ditch, which leads to a platform measuring 60 metres long and 2 to 3 metres wide. A second rampart and a 10 by 10 metre courtyard are also located in this area, separating the hillfort from the rest of the peninsula.
The site has been studied by the Institute of Lithuanian History in 1960 and by archaeologists from the Council for the Protection of Scientific Methodological Monuments in 1972. Today, the entire hillfort is covered by a forest.
Historically, Jadagonių piliakalnis is considered to be the site of the castle of Junigeda, which is mentioned in several records. Many historians identify this site with the Veliuona hillfort.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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