- Place
- Tauragė District Municipality
- Region
- Samogitia
- Type
- protected hillfort in Pagramantis Regional Park
- Address
- Pagramantis town, Mažonai Eldership, Tauragė District
- Coordinates
- 55.36951, 22.23536
- Visit duration
- 40-70 minutes for the hillfort and confluence valley
- Best time
- a dry spring or autumn day when the rampart and steep slopes are easy to read
A promontory between the Akmena and Gramančia
The hillfort occupies a left-bank promontory above the Akmena and the right bank of the Gramančia stream. The Akmena Valley surrounds it from the west and the Gramančia from the south and east. Steep slopes more than 20 m high supplied natural defence and give the place a striking vertical scale today.
The irregular rectangular summit extends north-south for 75 m and varies from 25 to 40 m wide. At its northern edge stands a 3 m rampart, beyond which lies a ditch 10-15 m wide and about 1 m deep.
What the finds actually show
Excavation found a Roman sestertius about 25 cm below the summit surface. The 3.2 cm brass coin weighs roughly 20 g and was minted in AD 164-168 or 169. It points to long-distance movement or exchange, but a single coin does not prove a Roman presence at the hillfort.
Older pottery with smooth and rough surfaces was also recovered. Modern coins, cartridges, and knives belong to later phases of use, so the finds do not form one chronological group.
Reading the defences
Look first for defensive logic rather than a panorama: river valleys protect three sides, while the more vulnerable northern approach carries the rampart and ditch. This makes it unusually clear where natural terrain ends and constructed fortification begins.
The hillfort is an archaeological property. Do not make shortcuts, dig, collect objects, or drive onto the summit. Leave any accidental archaeological find in place and report it to heritage specialists.
Access and a safe visit
The map point marks the hillfort itself, not a dedicated car park. The State Service for Protected Areas rates access for people with reduced mobility as partial because steep slopes and natural surfaces prevent barrier-free access throughout.
Steps and slopes can be slippery after rain, so wear shoes with grip and supervise children near edges. There is no ticket office. Combine the visit with Pagramantis Outcrop or the town centre and carry all waste out of the protected area.
