Maneičiai hillfort
Maneičiai hillfort with a settlement, Sudeikiai – hillfort and settlement are in the territory of Utena district municipality, in Rukliai forest, Daugailiai neighborhood. Accessible from the road Sudeikiai – Radeikiai turning left northward, along the eastern bank of the lake Alaušas by the road going through the forest, keeping to the left, 2km before the summer resort on the bank of Alaušas, 200m to the right in the north.
The hillfort was built on a separate hill, 150m east of the eastern bank of the lake Alaušas. The site 30x18m. There brushed and rough pottery was found. The slopes are steep, 10m high.
The hillfort is severely damaged by ploughing which nearly completely destroyed its ramparts. At the end of the XIXc. 4 ramparts were mentioned: two bigger ones on both edges of the site and two smaller ones on the slopes. An entrance into the hillfort on the eastern side was mentioned, of 6.5m wide, protected by ramparts of 23m long and 1.4m high. The hillfort is overgrowing with deciduous trees and bushes.
Archeological findings: fragments of molded brushed and rough pottery (of very poor condition). The findings are kept in the Lithuanian National Museum. The hillfort dates back to the I millennium – the beginning of the II millennium.
At the southern, western and north-eastern foothills there is a I millennium settlement of the area of 7 ha. On its western edge an area of 40m² was explored and a cultural layer of up to 20cm thick was found: remains with fragments of molded pottery, clay plaster and hearths, and on the south-western edge between the foot of the hillfort and the ravine, an intensive cultural layer with single fragments of molded pottery and stones from hearths. Up to the end of the XXc. the cultural layer had been plowed; presently, there is unbroken soil with a young pine wood and single deciduous trees and bushes. Between the south-western foot of the hillfort and the ravine there is a plowed area of 15x15m in size. In the south-western part, on the sand hill the surface is being damaged because of cars.
According to legends, in the past there stood a church and fortifications of Lithuanian dukes. The area of the monument territory 7.8ha. As the legend goes, priestesses used to burn sacred fire on Maneičiai hillfort.
