The iron age and medieval fort under the trees

Milžinų kalnas, located in Alytaus region, is not just a hill - it is a hillfort, revealing its past as a strategic fortification from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages. Its lush surroundings of trees and meadows are a stark contrast to its dark history as a fort for a powerful warlord. Although it is often overlooked as a casual picnic spot, or a place to view the nature, this hillfort once held great power and importance. The hillfort, approximately 10x10 meters square and triangular in shape, is situated on the right bank of the Aluve river.

Its size may seem small, but it is estimated to have been inhabited for centuries. The hillfort was protected by a square ditch that could be up to 14 meters deep, presumably to keep enemy soldiers out. The buried bones and artifacts found within the fort suggest the hillfort was not just a fort for a single ruler or a small community, but a fort for a powerful warlord.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons