Jautakių piliakalnis hillfort and settlement

Nestled in the Mažeikiai district, within the borders of Mažeikiai–Skuodas municipality, lies Jautakių piliakalnis - a hillfort in the village of Jautakiai. This ancient site is located on the left bank of the Ventas river, near the confluence with the Gilupis. The site features a triangular-shaped clearing, 45 meters long and 8-15 meters wide. In the northern edge of the clearing, traces of a palisade were found, which were later filled with a 1.5-meter high mound of clay.

During archaeological investigations, a 4-meter wide and 1.5-meter deep ditch was excavated behind the mound. A terrace measuring 20 by 30 meters is situated on the southern slope of the hillfort, approximately 6 meters below the southern edge of the clearing. This site is dated from the 1st millennium to the 13th century. It is believed that during the first half of the 1st millennium and the second half, the hillfort served as a shelter for the inhabitants of the slope.

Preliminary archaeological research was conducted in 1966 by the Institute of History, followed by archaeologists in 1970. In 1975-1976, archaeologists Jonas Stankus and Algimantas Merkevičius examined 325 square meters of the clearing and 166 square meters of the terrace. Artifacts found included a cultural layer 0.3-1.0 meters thick containing post holes, a stone millstone, a clay weight, a hazelnut, a smooth and rough glazed ceramic decorated with a wavy pattern, and animal bones.

Į šiaurės vakarus ir pietvakarius nuo piliakalnio lies a settlement which was investigated in 1975-1977 and 1993. In a cultural layer up to 150 cm thick, researchers found post holes, hearths, hazelnuts, and various items such as a bracelet, a buckle, a iron chisel, a chisel, a cylindrical spindle whorl, and a glass bead. There are 21 open hearths at the site, ranging in size from 0.6 x 0.9 m to 1.0 x 1.2 m. The artifacts from these excavations are preserved in a museum.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons