The remains of the former port were discovered along the River Nemunas in the whole of the old town. The early ages customs house operated near the port, probably near Vytautas the Great church. The shallow bay in the River Neris was possibly also used for the local port. This presumption is supported by the stone and log surfaces discovered on the river bank – there must have been a road. During the research it was discovered that the bank of the River Nemunas was reinforced by wooden poles and a cobbled street, and stretched along the riverbank. All these discoveries were dated to the 15th century. However, it is possible that the port expanded along the river bank towards Vytautas the Great church, and maybe above it. No archaeological data exists due to the earlier cultural layers being covered and destroyed during the construction of the embankment in the middle of the 19th century. Although the images of the town from the second half of the 16th century to the 17th century indicate that the port took up the whole river bank on the southern side of the town.
Mindaugas Bertašius