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Labotiškės, Degsnė I and II Burial Mounds

55.053, 25.411
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  • 14_Degsnės, Labotiškių pilkapynai (1).jpg
  • 14_Degsnės, Labotiškių pilkapynai (12).jpg
  • Labotiškių, Degsnės pilkapynas iš PR pusės tadas žemaitis 2022 10 20.jpg
  • Degsnės, Labotiškių pilkapynai (3).jpg

These burial mounds are located in Molėtai district. There are 30 burials in the first burial ground and 21 burials in the second. They are 6-10 m in diameter and 0.2-1.5 m high. Distances between burial mounds are from 2 to 25 m. Locals say there was a Swedish war here, the burial mounds are considered Swedish trenches or French Swedish graves. It is said that before World War I they were excavated by Russian officials and found copper buckles for pentines and armor.
Some of the burial mounds were plowed, some with excavated pits. In 1970, archaeologist A. Tautavičius researched 18 graves in both burial mounds. During the research, 6 demolition and 3 cremation burials of humans and 3 demolition and one cremation horse grave were found. 6 burial mounds were without graves. The burials consisted of an iron pentine narrow-bladed ax, a sheathed spear, raids, a sickle, pentines, an arch brooch, a awl. Brass winding rings and bracelets, clay spindles, horse clothing parts - iron snaffle, buckles, brass cladding. Labotiškės, Degsnė 1st burial ground dates back to the 9th - 12th centuries, and the 2nd - to the 5th-9th centuries.