Žakainių piliakalnis

LTSiekiant sustabdyti piliakalnio nykimą, 2004 m. čia buvo vykdomi apsaugos techninių priemonių įrengimo darbai, tuo pačiu atlikti archeologiniai tyrinėjimai. Jiems parinktos vietos, kur pagal tvarkymo darbų projektą buvo numatyta iki natūralaus grunto byrėjimo kampo nukasti piliakalnio šlaitus. Kiti tyrinėjimų tikslai: išsiaiškinti, ar išvažinėtame priešais pylimą griovyje išlikęs kultūrinis sluoksnis; išvalyti griovį iki buvusio gylio; žvalgyti visą teritoriją, kur bus vykdomi žemės judinimo darbai [p. 34].

ENIn 2004 at the Žakainiai hill-fort (Šilutė district) an area of 294 m2 was investigated. During the investigation several hundreds of potshards of different sizes were collected and over a hundred of them included into the inventory. Handmade pottery with a smooth surface datable to the second half of the 1st millennium A. D. dominated, nevertheless wheel-made pottery shards decorated with different ornaments, such as waves, pinches-impresses and dents, datable to the 11th-13th century were collected as well. Besides that, clay spindles and clay forms for metal casting were found. All trenches revealed a lot of clay daub. Some items of bronze jewellery were discovered: 4 penannular fibulas, a spiral bracelet and a sash-like one. Out of the iron tools found we should mention fragments of knifes and scythes, an adze, a torqued awl and a forged nail. An iron lanceolate spearhead and several iron fragments probably attributable to arrowheads were also found. Some finds were attributable to imports: a Viking-type cauldron iron handle, a key of cylindrical lock, an iron chisel and a whetstone made of schist.There also was a bronzed weight of 42.73 g which had a shape of irregular barrel. Most of individual finds are datable to the 8th-13th century. Besides that, mixed cultural layers contained finds datable to the 16th- 17th century: a horseshoe fragment and a vessel-shaped stove-tile. Most of the sectors had traces of an extensive fire: burned pottery, stones and clay daub, a lot of charred wood particles and ash. Presumably the earlier settlement burned and was deserted, whereas the later inhabitants reinforced the southern edge of the hill-fort with a higher rampart. Coal pieces taken from the earlier cultural layer were investigated using the radiocarbon dating method. Their formation was attributed to the 8th-10th century. The later cultural layer should date to the 11th-13th century.