Apuolė Explained

Official Name:Apuolė
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Lithuania
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Lithuania
Coordinates:56.2444°N 21.6556°W
Subdivision Name: Lithuania
Subdivision Type1:County
Subdivision Name1: Klaipėda County
Subdivision Type2:Municipality
Subdivision Name2:Skuodas district municipality
Subdivision Type3:Eldership
Subdivision Name3:Aleksandrija eldership
Population As Of:2011
Population Total:119
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:854
Timezone:EET
Utc Offset:+2
Timezone Dst:EEST
Utc Offset Dst:+3

Apuolė is a historic village in Skuodas district municipality, Lithuania. It is situated some east of Skuodas by the . It had a population of 132 according to the 2001 census and 119 according to the 2011 census.

The Apuolė hillfort is located by the village. Having survived a viking attack in 854, Apuolė is the oldest Lithuanian settlement mentioned in written sources. Since 2004, the attack is commemorated by an annual medieval reenactment Apuolė 854.

History

See main article: Apuolė hillfort. Apuolė was an important hill fort of the Curonians, one of the Baltic tribes. The hill fort is situated at the confluence of the and its tributary, . Archaeologists dated the wooden fortress to the 1st century AD. According to archaeological research, a large village was situated near the hill fort. This would indicate early stages of city development.

Apuolė was mentioned by Rimbert in his Vita Ansgari in the context early conflicts between the Curonians and vikings in 854.Apuolė was mentioned again only in a 1253 treaty between Bishop of Riga and Livonian Order. The location was described as uncultivated land. The castle was probably destroyed and the villagers moved to safer areas. The settlement was mentioned again in the 17th century. By late 18th century the hill fort attracted attention from historians and archaeologists. The first excavations were carried out by Eduards Volters and Birger Nerman in 1928–1932.