Location
State: Latvia
Region: Kurzeme
County: Aizpute
Parish: Kazdanga
Other references to the location
On the right bank of the Alokste River, 100 m E from Kazdanga (Valāta) Hill Fort, in a deciduous tree forest between two side ravines of the river right bank and a meadow.
Coordinates
lat=56.7073333333, lon=21.74465
56° 42′ 26″ N, 21° 44′ 40″ E
Description
The Church Hill (hill fort) at the Kazdanga Hill Fort has been made in the place naturally suitable for that. From three sides the slopes of the remnant of the hill or the bedrock coast or protuberance are naturally steep. Only in the SE side where it merges with the surrounding field the hill is separated with a semi-circular ditch and dam. Unfortunately as a result of previous intensive ploughing the dam has been considerably damaged and nowadays its contour looks rather vague. Between the ditch and dam the remains of a terrace have been found which might mark the place of the entrance. Another small terrace can be found 3m below the level of the plateau at the gentlest sloping NE end of the hill. Generally the plateau of the hill fort when viewed in a plan is triangular and its width varies from 20 to 40 metres and its length is up to 60 metres.
Narrative
The Church Hill (hill fort) at Kazdanga Hill Fort has been known since 1923, when it was mentioned in the description of the latter by the explorer of hillforts Ernests Brastiņš. The first to present a wider description of the Church Hill was explorer K. Rozītis. Although no cultural layer has been found on the hill, its levelled plateau and artificially made fortifications suggest that here used to be an additional fortification of Kazdanga Hill Fort. At the same time the name of the Church Hill allows concluding that on this hill there used to be the cult place pertinent to the hill fort which was fortified for some unknown, but most likely fortification reasons.
Attraction
Some
Availability
From the Kazdanga (Valāta) Hill Fort into the deciduous forest.
Infrastructure, management, facilities
There have been no facilitation and maintenance works performed within the territory, no indication signs.
Local info
There is no information stand on site
Capacity
10 – 40
Publicity
Known
Legal Status
Private
Comments
Wider information on the ancient site can be found in the book „Latvijas rietumu daļas jaunatklātie pilskalni” (Newly Discovered Hill forts of Western Latvia) (J. Urtāns, J. Asaris, R., 1998).
