Utena's Sinking Ring: The Enigmatic Antabaltės Piliakalnis

Utena's Sinking Ring: The Enigmatic Antabaltės Piliakalnis

A mysterious tale unfolds at Antabaltės Piliakalnis, an archaeological site hidden in Utena's Tauragnaia Elde near Antabaltės village. Built between the 1st Century BC and 1st Century AD, it's the only known sinking circle in Lithuania.

The archaeological site, Antabaltės Piliakalnis, is situated on the north-eastern bank of Balčių lake in the Tauragnaia Elde of Utena region. Dating back to the 1st Century BC and 1st Century AD, it resembles a sinking ring, with a diameter of 25 meters and a width of 15 meters. Five meters below the top of the mound, a 14-meter-long and 14-meter-wide terrace is found at the back. A 50x30-meter terrace lies in the center of the mound, about 5 to 7 meters above the ground. Antabaltės Piliakalnis was constructed in a separate mound from the nearby settlement, setting it apart from its surroundings. Interestingly, the center and thicker part of the mound are sinking – a unique feature in Lithuanian archaeology.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nicolo Ciampini

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