Situated in Šilalės rajone, in the village of Vilkų Lauko on the left bank of the Jūra River, lies the archaeological site of Kūplė. While the site's courtyard was once oval-shaped, the river has eroded the north-west side over time. Today, it is a triangular shape, measuring 92 meters long and 44 meters wide in the north-east, and 9 meters wide in the south-west.
The eastern edge of the site features an embankment half a meter high and 7 meters wide, with an outer slope of 11 meters that leads down into a ditch 11 meters wide and 4 meters deep. In the south-west, another embankment one meter high and 15 meters wide has a slope leading into a ditch 10 meters wide and 2 meters deep. Behind this, a secondary mound stands with a peak of 12 triangle-shaped mounds, each 6 meters high.
South of the hillfort, a one-hectare area contains a settlement where archaeologists have found molded pottery, clay plaster, stone axes, bronze bracelets, and necklaces. The site also carries a significant historical connection to the 13th century. In the year 1259, the castle of Georgenburg, built by the Livonian Order, was located at this hillfort before the garrison moved to Klaipė in 1260.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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