Kaļķupe river valley and Puiškalns hill
Kaļķupe river valley is located half-way from Dundaga to Ģipka and on the top of it there is one of the most majestic castle mounds in the Northern Kurzeme - Puiškalns hill.
Already in the notes of 1809, it is mentioned that on the plateau of the hill, there was a moderately large stone resembling a human in shape. Local residents reportedly made offerings at this stone.
In the work about the Latvian archeology, in the book «Necrolivonica» its author, prof. Frīdrihs Krūze has also included a drawing of a 36 cm tall stone sculpture with an explanation that this is the «Puiškalns stone image». The stone was no longer located at its initial place at that time, it had been moved to the arms' room at Dundaga Castle. In 1866 this image was described by Jelgava painter and historian Jūliuss Dērings, who also mentioned that a copper bowl, a stone axe and a stone pot was found at Puiškalns hill.
The first explanation behind the origin of the name of Puiškalns hill is related to the above mentioned stone image referred to as a «puisis» [a boy].
The castle mound was constructed on a 20 m high place on the land horn between the steep valleys of the Kaļķupe river and the Mazupe river. The area of the castle mound is stretched, with the area of 30 x 80 m, with a well pronounced occupation layer.
It is not possible to provide an accurate reference date for Puiškalns hill yet because no archaeology excavations were done there.
