Ancient ruins of Strumpakalnis and Švedkapiai

In the forest near the village of Dirmiškės lies a pair of enigmatic archaeological sites - Strumpakalnis and Švedkapiai. Strumpakalnis is a cut log-shaped mound covered in trees, located in the northern part of forest section 46. It is situated about 1.3 km southwest of the Pupasodis - Balkasodis road and 0.1 km southeast of the boundary between sections 45 and 46. The mound has slopes between 5 and 7 meters high and features an oval clearing measuring about 10 x 6 meters. This clearing is surrounded by a ditch that is 5 meters high on the northern side and 2 meters high on the southern side, with stones visible on its surface.

Archaeological excavations in 2001 revealed a 12 square-meter plot near the western slope of the mound. Researchers found a cultural layer approximately 0.6 meters thick containing ceramic shards, brick remains, and lime plaster. These artifacts date back to the 1st millennium BC and the 1st millennium AD.

About 0.3 km to the northwest of the mound lies the site of Švedkapiai. This location features a pilkapis about 13 meters in diameter and 0.5 meters high, along with a crown of stones. Nearby, researchers found 14 circles of varying sizes and a long stone heap reaching 100 meters in length and 3 meters in width. Excavations here in 1988-1989 uncovered two unburnt burials containing iron objects, a spear, and a clay cup. The site dates back to the 3rd - 4th centuries AD. Research on both sites has been conducted by various institutions over the decades, and the findings are preserved in the Lithuanian National Museum and the Alytus Regional Museum.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons