Located in the Klaipėda district near the village of Ablinga, Žvaginių is a hillfort situated on the highest peak of the Endriejavo kalvagūbrio masyvos. The site features a trapezoidal courtyard stretching 40 meters east-west. It is 20 meters wide at the western end and 45 meters wide at the eastern end, where a 1.8-meter high, 15-meter wide ditch is filled. In the western half, there is a 0.3-meter high ditch that is 6 meters wide.
The slopes of the hillfort have a moderate steepness and reach a height of 15 meters. The northwestern part of the hillfort is decorated with gravel pits, while the courtyard is covered with graves. A small wooden chapel stands in the courtyard. On the southern slope, there are graves of Ablinga residents shot in 1941. A memorial was erected on the southern cliff in 1972.
Archaeological research conducted in 1963 and 1972 revealed a cultural layer of more than 1.3 meters thick containing pottery and ash. The hillfort is dated from the 1st millennium to the 13th century. Historically, the Kuršiai castle of Ablinga stood on this site in the year 1253. Today, the hillfort is surrounded by deciduous trees and parts of the slopes are covered with grass.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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