BDAR

The site of the ancient cult of šaukliai

56.139, 21.582
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  • 21_Šauklių senovės kulto vieta 1 (1).jpg
  • 21_Šauklių senovės kulto vieta 1 (2).jpg
  • 21_Šauklių senovės kulto vieta 1 (3).jpg

The ancient cult site is located on the left bank of the Eiškūnas stream, near the Mosėdžis road. It is marked by two ritual stones lying 35 m apart. The stone with a hollow in the southern part is the best preserved. It is reddish, coarse-grained granite, round, with chipped sides, 1.1-1.2 m in diameter and 60 cm high. The upper surface is smooth, sloping to one side, with an irregularly shaped hollow 50 cm in diameter and 7-8 cm deep with a flat bottom and perpendicular walls carved in the middle. Another stone of similar granite, rounded, with chipped sides and a flat surface, about 1.2 m in diameter, lies in a hollow. Research of the surrounding area has established that both stones are altars from ancient temples, which stood on small stone pedestals next to fire pits lined with reddish granite chips. The cult site was used from the 1st millennium to the 15th–17th centuries. When the temple was destroyed, the first stone was thrown into the fire pit with its hollow side down, and the upper part of the other stone with its hollow side was broken. Both stones were covered with earth. During archaeological research in 1971, they were excavated and the stone with the hollow was placed in its original location.