thumb|upright=1.5|Tomb of King [[Alyattes at Bin Tepe in Lydia, modern Turkey, built c. 560 BC. It is one of the largest tumuli ever built, with a diameter of 360 meters and a height of 61 meters.]]

thumb|The [[Royal Mounds of Gamla Uppsala in Sweden from the 5th and 6th centuries. Originally, the site had 2,000 to 3,000 tumuli, but due to quarrying and agriculture only 250 remain.]]

thumb|[[La Cambe German war cemetery]]

thumb|One of the [[Hallstatt culture–era tumuli in the Sulm valley necropolis]]

thumb|[[Kasta Tomb|Kasta tumulus Amphipolis]]

A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as kurgans, and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones built for various purposes, may also originally have been a tumulus.

Tumuli are often categorised according to their external apparent shape. In this respect, a long barrow is a long tumulus, usually constructed on top of several burials, such as passage graves. A round barrow is a round tumulus, also commonly constructed on top of burials. The internal structure and architecture of both long and round barrows have a broad range; the categorization only refers to the external apparent shape.

The method of may involve a dolmen, a cist, a mortuary enclosure, a mortuary house, or a chamber tomb. Examples of barrows include Duggleby Howe and Maeshowe.

Etymology

The word tumulus is Latin for 'mound' or 'small hill', which is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *teuh<sub>2</sub>- with extended zero grade *tum-, 'to bulge, swell' also found in tomb, tumor, tumescent, thumb, thigh, and thousand.

<!-- Add date of coinage as a term for "burial mound" here -->Its synonym "howe" is derived from .

Burial accounts

The funeral of Patroclus is described in book 23 of Homer's Iliad. Patroclus is burned on a pyre, and his bones are collected into a golden urn in two layers of fat. The barrow is built on the location of the pyre. Achilles then sponsors funeral games, consisting of a chariot race, boxing, wrestling, running, a duel between two champions to the first blood, discus throwing, archery and spear throwing.

Beowulf's body in the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf is taken to Hronesness, where it is burned on a funeral pyre. During cremation, the Geats lament the death of their lord, a widow's lament being mentioned in particular, singing dirges as they circumambulate the barrow.

Afterwards, a mound is built on top of a hill, overlooking the sea, and filled with treasure. A band of twelve of the best warriors ride around the barrow, singing dirges in praise of their lord.

Parallels have also been drawn to the account of Attila's burial in Jordanes' Getica. Jordanes tells that as Attila's body was lying in state, the best horsemen of the Huns circled it, as in circus games.

An Old Irish Life of Columcille reports that every funeral procession "halted at a mound called Eala, whereupon the corpse was laid, and the mourners marched thrice solemnly round the spot."

Types

thumb|A [[lidar view of the landscape south of Stonehenge (top left of centre) and some associated barrows]]

Archaeologists often classify tumuli according to their location, form, and date of construction (see also mound). Some British types are listed below:

<!-- please don't add more info here. I'm in the process of creating a separate page for each barrow type -->

  • Bank barrow
  • Bell barrow
  • Bowl barrow
  • D-shaped barrow – round barrow with a purposely flat edge at one side often defined by stone slabs.
  • Disc barrow
  • Fancy barrow – generic term for any Bronze Age barrows more elaborate than a simple hemispherical shape.
  • Long barrow
  • Oval barrow – a Neolithic long barrow consisting of an elliptical, rather than rectangular or trapezoidal mound.
  • Platform barrow – The least common of the recognised types of round barrow, consisting of a flat, wide circular mound that may be surrounded by a ditch. They occur widely across southern England with a marked concentration in East and West Sussex.
  • Pond barrow – a barrow consisting of a shallow circular depression, surrounded by a bank running around the rim of the depression, from the Bronze Age.
  • Ring barrow – a bank that encircles a number of burials.
  • Round barrow – a circular feature created by the Bronze Age peoples of Britain and also the later Romans, Vikings, and Saxons. Divided into subclasses such as saucer and bell barrow – the Six Hills are a rare Roman example.
  • Saucer barrow – a circular Bronze Age barrow that features a low, wide mound surrounded by a ditch that may have an external bank.
  • Square barrow – burial site, usually of Iron Age date, consisting of a small, square, ditched enclosure surrounding a central burial, which may also have been covered by a mound.

Modern practices

alt=Soulton Long Barrow, an example of the modern barrows|thumb|[[Soulton Long Barrow, an example of the modern barrows ]]

There is a contemporary revival in barrow building in the UK. In 2015 the first long barrow in thousands of years, the Long Barrow at All Cannings, inspired by those built in the Neolithic era, was built on land just outside the village of All Cannings. The barrow was designed to have a large number of private niches within the stone and earth structure to receive cremation urns.

This was followed by new barrows at:

  • The Willow Row Barrow at St Neots.
  • The Soulton Long Barrow at Soulton in Shropshire.
  • Higher Ground Meadow in Dorset
  • Mid-England Barrow, Oxfordshire.

Plans have also been announced for a barrow in Milton Keynes and in Powys.

Sites

Australia

thumb|250px|Burial mound, mourning seats and carved trees facing the mound. c. 1820

Burial mounds are one of several funerary forms practiced by Indigenous Australians. Burial mounds were once practiced by some Aboriginals across Australia, the most elaborate burial mounds are recorded in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Most notable burials in New South Wales and Western Australia were studied and excavated by John Oxley (1820), Atkinson (1853), Pearce (1897), and Davidson (1949) and were termed Aboriginal tumulus. Many of these mounds today have undergone much change in appearance due to erosion, weathering, wildfires, agriculture, land development and deliberate destruction.

Some mounds do not contain burials, these mounds are associated with settlement debris. In Northern Territory and in several regions both forms are known. Recently, several mounds in Queensland were investigated with ground-penetrating radar. These mounds were previously associated with settlement debris. Radar study revealed some mounds contained mortuary remains, while other mounds were built over places where ceremonial fires had taken place. Further research is proposed to understand nature of burial mounds in this part of Australia.

Africa

Horn of Africa

Salweyn in Northern Somalia contains a very large field of cairns, which stretches for a distance of around 8&nbsp;km. An excavation of one of these tumuli by Georges Révoil in 1881 uncovered a tomb, beside which were artefacts pointing to an ancient, advanced civilization. The interred objects included pottery shards from Samos, some well-crafted enamels, and a mask of Ancient Greek design.

The Sahel

Preceded by assumed earlier sites in the Eastern Sahara, tumuli with megalithic monuments developed as early as 4700 BC in the Saharan region of Niger. Fekri Hassan (2002) indicates that the megalithic monuments in the Saharan region of Niger and the Eastern Sahara may have served as antecedents for the mastabas and pyramids of ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptian pyramids of the early dynastic period and Meroitic Kush pyramids are recognized by Faraji (2022) as part of and derived from an earlier architectural "Sudanic-Sahelian" tradition of monarchic tumuli, which are characterized as "earthen pyramids" or "proto-pyramids." Cultural similarities were also found with a Malinke king of Gambia, who along with his senior queen, human subjects within his kingdom, and his weapons, were buried in his home under a large mound the size of the house, as described by V. Fernandes. Tenerians did not construct the two monumental tumuli at Adrar Bous and Iwelen. to 200 BC. Within the settled areas of Tichitt Culture (e.g., Dhar Tichitt, Dhar Tagant, Dhar Walata), with stone walls, which vary in scale from (e.g., 2 hectares, 80 hectares), there were walled agricultural land used for livestock or gardening as well as land with granaries and tumuli.

At Wanar, Senegal, megalithic monolith-circles and tumuli (1300/1100 BC – 1400/1500 AD) were constructed by West Africans who had a complex hierarchical society. In the mid-region of the Senegal River Valley, the Serer people may have created tumuli (before 13th century AD), shell middens (7th century AD – 13th century AD) in the central-west region, and shell middens (200 BC – Present) in the southern region. The funerary tumuli-building tradition of West Africa was widespread and a regular practice amid 1st millennium AD. More than ten thousand large funerary tumuli exist in Senegal. The El Oualadji monumental tumulus, which dates between 1030 AD and 1220 AD and has two human remains buried with horse remains and various items (e.g., horse harnesses, horse trappings with plaques and bells, bracelets, rings, beads, iron items), may have been, as highlighted by al-Bakri, the royal burial site of a king from the Ghana Empire.

The earliest kurgans date to the 4th millennium BC in the Caucasus, and researchers associate these with the Indo-Europeans. Kurgans were built in the Eneolithic, Bronze, Iron, Antiquity and Middle Ages, with ancient traditions still active in Southern Siberia and Central Asia.

Near East

Turkey

thumb|The "Tomb of [[Midas" in Gordion, dated 740 BC.]]

On the Anatolian peninsula, there are several sites where one can find the biggest specimens of these artificial mounds throughout the world. Three of these sites are especially important. Bin Tepe (and other Lydian mounds of the Aegean inland), Phrygian mounds in Gordium (Central Anatolia), and the famous Commagene tumulus on Mount Nemrut (Southeastern Anatolia).

This is the most important of the enumerated sites with the number of specimens it has and with the dimensions of certain among them. It is in the Aegean inland of Turkey. The site is called "Bintepeler" or "Bin Tepe" (a thousand mounds in Turkish) and it is in the northwest of Salihli district of Manisa province. The site is very close to the southern shoreline of Lake Marmara (Lake Gyges or Gygaea). Bin Tepeler is a Lydian necropolis that dates back to 7th and 6th centuries BC. These mounds are called "the pyramids of Anatolia", as a giant specimen among them is 355&nbsp;metres in diameter, 1115&nbsp;metres in perimeter and 69&nbsp;metres high. According to Herodotus, this giant tumulus belongs to the famous Lydian King Alyattes who ruled between 619 and 560&nbsp;BC. There is also another mound belonging to King Gyges. The Gyges mound was excavated but the burial chamber has not been found yet. On this site, there are 75 tumuli dating back to Lydian period that belong to the nobility. A large number of smaller artificial mounds can also be observed on the site. There are other Lydian tumuli sites around Eşme district of Uşak province. Certain mounds on these sites had been plundered by raiders in the late 1960s, and the Lydian treasures found in their burial chambers were smuggled to the United States, which later returned them to Turkish authorities after negotiations. These artifacts are now exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Uşak.

thumb|Tumulus MM, Gordion, at sunset

Gordium (Gordion) was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Phrygia. Its ruins are in the immediate vicinity of Polatlı, near the Turkish capital Ankara. At this site, approximately 80–90 tumuli date back to the Phrygian, Persian and Hellenistic periods. Around 35 tumuli have been excavated so far, ranging in date from the 8th century BC to the 3rd or 2nd century BC. The biggest tumulus at the site is believed to have covered the burial of the famous Phrygian King Midas or that of his father. This mound, called Tumulus MM (for "Midas Mound"), was excavated in 1957 by a team from the University of Pennsylvania Museum, led by Rodney Young and his graduate students. Among the many fine bronze artifacts recovered from the wooden burial chamber were 170 bronze vessels, including numerous "omphalos bowls", and more than 180 bronze "Phrygian fibulae" (ancient safety pins). The wooden furniture found in the tomb is especially noteworthy, as wood seldom survives from archaeological contexts: the collection included nine tables, one of them elaborately carved and inlaid, and two ceremonial serving stands inlaid with religious symbols and geometric patterns. Important bronze and wooden artifacts were also found in other tumulus burials at the site.

Mount Nemrut is 86&nbsp;km in the east of Adıyaman province of Turkey. It is very close to Kahta district of the same province. The mountain has, at its peak, 3050&nbsp;metres of height above sea level. A tumulus that dates to the 1st century BC is at the peak of the mountain. This artificial mound has 150&nbsp;metres in diameter and a height of 50&nbsp;metres, which was originally 55&nbsp;metres. It belongs to the Commagene King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene who ruled between 69 and 40&nbsp;BC. This tumulus is made of broken stone pieces, which renders excavation attempts almost impossible. The tumulus is surrounded by ceremonial terraces in the east, west, and north. The east and west terraces have tremendous statues (reaching 8 to 10&nbsp;meters in height) and bas reliefs of gods and goddesses from the Commagene pantheon where divine figures used to embody the Persian and Roman perceptions together.

Bahrain

thumb|[[Dilmun Burial Mounds in Bahrain.]]

The Dilmun Burial Mounds comprising necropolis areas on the main island of Bahrain dating back to the Dilmun civilization and the Umm al-Nar culture.

Each of the tumuli is composed of a central stone chamber that is enclosed by a low ring-wall and covered by earth and gravel. The

size of the mounds varies, but the majority of them measure 15 by 30&nbsp;ft (4.5 by 9 m) in diameter and are 3–6&nbsp;ft (1–2 m) high. The smaller mounds usually contain only one chamber. The chambers are usually rectangular with one or two alcoves at the northeast end. Occasionally there are additional pairs of alcoves along the middle of the larger chambers.

Syria, Palestine and Israel

thumb|Rujm el-Hiri, Golan Heights, Syria

thumb|Jerusalem tumulus #2 in 2004

A tumulus forms the center of the ancient megalithic structure of Rujm el-Hiri in Golan Heights, Syria. Rujm in Arabic can mean tumulus, cairn or stone heap. Dating from the 4th or 3rd millennium, the megalithic structure is also known as the “Wheel of Ghosts,” or the “Wheel of Giants,” and some have even called it “Stonehenge of the East”. It previously was thought to be a prehistoric astronomical observatory, however more recent research challenges that theory. Most megalithic mounds with chambers found today have been disturbed over centuries and their original form was badly disturbed. Examination of other lesser disturbed monuments shows that the chamber was surrounded by a packing of earth, chipped rubble blocks and covered on the outside with inclined stone slabs whose top ends rested on the periphery of the capstone creating a mound. These pre-historic megalithic mound burials with chambers likely influenced later devolvement of mound burials called "Stupa" mounds, Similarities of the stupa with early megalithic mounds are noted with structural and functional features of the stupa (including its general mound shape and the practice of surrounding stupas with a stone, relic chamber, or wooden railing) with both pre-Mauryan era cairns and pre-historic megalithic "round mound" burials with chambers found in India, which likely represents a "proto-stupa".

In Dholavira, an archeological site associated with Indus Valley Civilization, there are several large and high "hemispherical monuments" mounds with brick masonry found with burial chambers inside. Among them, Tumulus-1 and Tumulus-2 mounds were excavated. They consist of a deep and wide rock-cut chamber, surrounded on the ground by a massive circular mud-brick structure made in two tiers, and filled in and topped with random earth to form a domical shape. There is also evidence of plastering on the exterior of Tumulus-1 mound, bearing a 10-

mm thick plaster of pinkish-white clay over brick masonry.

Pakistan

The damb was a type of mound, or small stone structure, found in Balochistan, including the coastal areas of Makran.

East Asia

China

The Chinese pyramids house the remains of some of China's former emperors.

Before the expansion of Shang and Zhou culture through the region, many hundreds of tumuli were also constructed by the "Baiyue" peoples of the Yangtze Valley and southeastern China.

Japan

thumb|left|Daisen Kofun, the largest of all kofun

thumb|[[Hashihaka Kofun, Sakurai, Nara, 3rd century AD]]

In Japan, powerful leaders built tumuli, known as kofun. The Kofun period of Japanese history takes its name from these burial mounds. The largest is Daisen-ryo Kofun, or more commonly Nintoku-ryo Kofun, with a length of 840 metres. In addition to other shapes, kofun includes a keyhole shape, typically seen in Daisen Kofun. Foreign museums possess some grave goods.

Korea

thumb|Burial mounds of the Silla kings in Korea

The first burial mounds in Korea were dolmens, which contained material from cultures of the 1st millennium AD, such as bronze-ware, pottery, and other symbols of the society elite. The most famous tumuli in Korea, dating around 300&nbsp;AD, are those left behind by the Korean Baekje, Goguryeo (Kogyuro/Koguryo), Silla and Gaya states and are clustered around ancient capital cities in modern-day Pyongyang, Ji'an, Jilin, Seoul and Gyeongju. The Goguryeo tombs, shaped like pyramids, are famous for the well-preserved wall murals like the ones at Anak Tomb No. 3, which depict the culture and artistry of the people. The base of the tomb of King Gwanggaeto is 85&nbsp;meters on each side, half of the size of the Great Pyramids. Goguryeo Silla tombs are most noted for the fabulous offerings that have been excavated such as delicate golden crowns and glassware and beads that probably made their way to Korea via the Silk Road.

Europe

Southeast Europe

Albania

Tumuli are one of the most prominent types of prehistoric monuments spread throughout northern and southern Albania. Some well-known local tumuli are:

  • Kamenica Tumulus
  • Lofkënd Tumulus
  • Pazhok Tumulus
Bosnia and Herzegovina

More than 50 burial mounds were found in Kupres. Man from Kupres – the skeleton found in one of the tumuli is believed to be more than 3000&nbsp;years old and it is kept in Gorica museum in Livno. Glasinac has many tumuli. During the Bronze and Iron Age it was a place of strong Glasinac culture, who buried their dead in tumulus.

Bulgaria

right|thumb|The entrance to the [[Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari|tomb (or temple) mound of Sveshtari]]

right|thumb|[[Thracian tomb of Aleksandrovo|Alexandrovo burial mound]]

right|thumb|[[Thracian tomb Shushmanets|Thracian tomb (or temple) Shushmanets]]

right|thumb|[[Tomb of Seuthes III|Thracian tomb of Seuthes III (Goliama Kosmatka)]]

right|thumb|Memorial of the [[Battle of Varna dedicated to Władysław III of Poland, dug into an ancient Thracian tumulus]]

On the territory of Bulgaria there are over 60,000 ancient Thracian mounds, of which only about 1,000 have been studied. There are also Roman and Thraco-Roman burial tombs. Those tumuli over ancient tombs, temples and sanctuaries are found throughout the whole territory of Bulgaria. Some of the world's most significant and famous being the Kazanlak and Sveshtari tombs, UNESCO World Heritage sites. Located near the ancient Thracian capital cities of Seuthopolis (of the Odrysian kingdom) and Daosdava or Helis (of the Getae), perhaps they represented royal burials. Other notable tumuli are the Thracian tomb of Aleksandrovo, Thracian tomb Golyama Arsenalka, Thracian tomb Shushmanets, Thracian tomb Griffins, Thracian tomb Helvetia, Thracian tomb Ostrusha, Tomb of Seuthes III and the other tombs around Starosel, others contained offerings such as the Panagyurishte and Rogozen treasures. Some of the sites are located in the Valley of the Thracian Rulers. The mound of the Tomb of Seuthes III "Golyama Kosmatka" is among the largest mounds in Thrace, with a maximum height of 23 m. and a diameter of 130 m.

Croatia

There are thousands of tumuli throughout all Croatia, built of stone (Croatian: gomila, gromila) in the karst areas (by the Adriatic Sea) or made of earth (Croatian: humak) in the inland plains and hills. Most of these prehistoric structures were built in the 2nd and 1st millennium BC, from the middle Bronze Age to the end of the Iron Age, by the Illyrians or their direct ancestors in the same place; the Liburnian inhumation of dead under tumuli was certainly inherited from the earlier times, as early as the Copper Age. Smaller tumuli were used as the burial mounds, while bigger (some up to 7&nbsp;metres high with 60&nbsp;metres long base) were the cenotaphs (empty tombs) and ritual places.

Greece

Some of the world's most prominent Tumuli, the Macedonian tombs and a cist-grave at Vergina include the tomb of Philip II (359–336&nbsp;BC), father of Alexander the Great (336–323&nbsp;BC), as well as the tomb of Alexander IV (323–309&nbsp;BC), son of Alexander the Great. A very large tumulus has been discovered in Amphipolis. Known as the Kasta Tomb, the tomb's occupant is presently unknown. Also numerous Mycenaean Greek Tombs are in all essence Tumuli, notably Agamemnon's site in Mycenae, and other sites in Tiryns, near Olympia and Pylos, and mostly in the Peloponnese peninsula near Mycenaean sites and Bronze Age settlements. Moreover, in Central Greece there are numerous Tumuli, some excavated, others not. A notable one is in Marathon, serving as a burial for the ones who fell during battle.

As of October 2014 there are ongoing excavations at the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis, Macedonia, Greece with the tumulus having a perimeter of 497 meters. The tomb within is assessed to be an ancient Macedonian burial monument of the last quarter of the 4th century BC.

  • Macedonian Tombs, Korinos
  • Macedonian Tombs, Katerini
Hungary

There are over 40,000 tumuli in the Great Hungarian Plain; the highest is Gödény-halom, near the settlement of Békésszentandrás in Békés county.

Sírhalom origins and forms are diverse: tells, graves, border barrows, watcher barrows.

Serbia
  • Mrčajevci, several prehistoric tumuli
  • Bukovac, Illyrian tumuli and necropolis
  • Five prehistoric tumuli in the Morava valley.
  • Gromile, Serbian tumuli in Ravna Gora.
  • Kinđa

Western and Central Europe

Austria

thumb|[[Großmugl in Austria]]

  • Burgstallkogel (Sulm valley)
  • Großmugl (Lower Austria)
  • Pillichsdorf (Lower Austria)
  • Niederhollabrunn (Lower Austria)
  • Gaisruck (in Niederösterreich)
  • Langenlebarn (in Niederösterreich)
  • Deutsch-Altenburg (in Niederösterreich)
  • Bernhardsthal (Lower Austria)
  • Siegendorf (Burgenland)
  • Schandorf (Burgenland)
  • Kleinklein (Styria)
  • Niederfellabrunn (Lower Austria))
  • Oberhofen am Irrsee (Upper Austria)
  • Obermallebarn (Lower Austria)
  • Unterzögersdorf (Lower Austria)
Belgium
  • Two Tumuli of Ambresin (Liège Province)
  • Tumulus of Avernas in Hannut (Liège): height: 8&nbsp;m; circumference: 100&nbsp;m
  • Tumulus of the "champ de la Tombe" in Braives (Liège), 1st century AD Roman tomb.
  • Tumulus of Court-Saint-Étienne (Walloon Brabant), around 3,000&nbsp;BC.
  • Two tumuli of Gingelom
  • Three tumuli of Gingelom
  • Tumulus of Glimes in Incourt (Walloon Brabant), Gallo-Roman period: height: 11&nbsp;m; diameter: 50&nbsp;m
  • Tumulus of Hottomont in Ramillies (Walloon Brabant), tomb of : height: 11.5&nbsp;m; diameter: 50&nbsp;m
  • Tumulus of Oleye (Liek) (Liège)
  • Tumulus of Pepin of Landen in Landen (Flemish Brabant)
  • Tumuli of the Sonian Forest (Brussels), 1st millennium BC.
  • Three Tumuli of Grimde in Tienen (Flemish Brabant), 1st century BC Gallo-Roman tombs.
  • Tumulus of Koninksem (Paardsweidestraat, Tongeren)
  • Tumulus of Koninksem (Romeinse Kassei, Tongeren)
  • Tumulus of Herstappe or Herstappeltombe, Herstappe
  • Tumulus of Beukenberg, Tongeren
  • Tumulus of Trou de Billemont in Antoing (Hainaut Province), 6th and 7th-century Merovingian tombs.
  • Tumulus of Walhain (Walloon Brabant)
  • Two Tumuli of Waremme (Liège)
  • Tumuli of Wéris (Belgian Luxembourg), 4th and 3rd millennium BC.
United Kingdom

thumb|Part of the burial ground at [[Sutton Hoo, Suffolk]]

In the United Kingdom, barrows of a wide range of types were in widespread use for burying the dead from the late Neolithic until the end of the Bronze Age, 2900–800&nbsp;BC. Square barrows were occasionally used in the Iron Age (800&nbsp;BC–43&nbsp;AD) in the east of England. The traditional round barrow experienced a brief resurgence following the Anglo-Saxon conquests, with the introduction of northern Germanic burial practices from continental Europe. These later barrows were often built near older Bronze Age barrows. They included a few instances of ship burial. Barrow burial fell out of use during the 7th century as a result of the spread of Christianity.

Early scholarly investigation of tumuli and theorising as to their origins was undertaken from the 17th century by antiquaries, notably John Aubrey, and William Stukeley. During the 19th century in England the excavation of tumuli was a popular pastime amongst the educated and wealthy upper classes, who became known as "barrow-diggers". This leisure activity played a key role in laying the foundations for the scientific study of the past in Britain but also resulted in untold damage to the sites.

Notable British barrows include:

  • West Kennet Long Barrow – Neolithic long barrow in Wiltshire
  • Wayland's Smithy – Neolithic long barrow and chamber tomb in Oxfordshire (historically Berkshire)
  • Belas Knap – Neolithic long barrow in Gloucestershire
  • Maeshowe – Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave on Mainland, Orkney
  • Duggleby Howe – Neolithic round barrow in the East Riding of Yorkshire
  • Sutton Hoo – 7th-century East Anglian ship burial with exceptionally rich grave goods in Suffolk
  • Devil's Humps – Bronze Age barrow group on Bow Hill in West Sussex
  • Devil's Jumps – Bronze Age barrow group on the South Downs of West Sussex
  • Seamer Beacon – Bronze Age barrow near Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Czech Republic

During the early Middle Ages, Slavic tribesmen inhabiting what is now the Czech Republic used to bury their dead under barrows. This practice has been widespread in southern and eastern Bohemia and some neighbouring regions, like Upper Austria and Lusatia, which at that time have been also populated with Slavic people. There are no known Slavic barrows in the central part of the country (around Prague), nor are they found in Moravia. This has led some of the archaeologists to speculations about at least three distinct waves of Slavic settlers, who colonized Czech lands separately from each other, each wave bringing its customs with it (including burial rituals).

At places where barrows have been constructed, they are usually found in groups (10 to 100 together), often forming several clearly distinct lines going from the west to the east. Only a few of them have been studied scientifically so far; in them, both burials by fire (with burnt ashes) and unburned skeletons have been found, even on the same site. It seems that builders of the barrows have at some time switched from burials by fire to burying of unburned corpses; the reason for such change is unknown. The barrows date too far back in history (700&nbsp;AD to 800&nbsp;AD) to contain any Christian influences.

thumb|right|Burial of [[Oleg of Novgorod in a tumulus in 912. Painting by Viktor Vasnetsov]]

As Czech barrows usually served for burials of poor villagers, only a few objects are found in them except for cheap pottery. Only one Slavic barrow is known to have contained gold.

Most of the Czech burial barrows have been damaged or destroyed by intense agriculture in the densely populated region. Those that remain are usually in forests, especially at hilltops in remote places. Therefore, there is no general knowledge about burial barrows among Czech population.

The best Slavic barrow sites can be found near to Vitín, a small village close to České Budějovice. There are two groups of barrows close to Vitín, each containing about 80 barrows ordered in lines. Some of the barrows are as much as 2&nbsp;metres high.

There are also some prehistoric burial barrows in Czech Republic, built by unknown people. Unlike Slavic barrows, they can be found all across the country, though they are scarce. Distinguishing them from Slavic ones is not an easy task for the unskilled eye. Perhaps the most famous of them forms the top of the Žuráň hill near Slavkov u Brna; it is from here that Napoleon commanded his forces during the Battle of Austerlitz.

France

thumb|The mound of Dissignac is a megalithic monument located in the French town of Saint-Nazaire.

  • Bougon (Deux-Sèvres) tumuli are a set of five tumuli all at one site: the building and using took place over a long period from to BC. This set is considered to be one of the oldest western European megalithic necropolis.
  • The Bussy-le-Château commune (Marne) has five Roman, Visigoth and Burgundian tumuli: three of them remain relatively intact along the .
  • The neolithic Saint-Michel de Carnac tumulus in Carnac was built between and BC.
  • A few kilometers from Carnac are the neolithic near the famous broken Menhir.
  • The five in the Benon forest form a neolithic necropolis in the Courçon commune (Charente-Maritime).
  • is a neolithic monument located about 5 kilometres west of Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique).
  • The tumulus of Lamalou dolmen is situated at the headwaters of the Lamalou river.
  • Tumulus and burial chamber (dolmen) of Bergerie de Panissière is located near Alès (Gard).
  • Tanouëdou tumulus is located near Bourbriac (Côtes d'Armor, Brittany).
  • on Prissé-la-Charrière commune (Deux-Sèvres): a neolithic long barrow with tumulus , dating from to BC.
  • , on the Melrand commune (Morbihan), is listed as monument historique since 1972.
  • Appenwihr tumuli on the Appenwihr commune (Haut Rhin) are a set of nine small tumuli (about tall and one higher at ), not far to the north-west. The results of the excavations are exposed in the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar.
  • Tumulus des Hogues, neolithic monuments located in Habloville.
Germany

Hügelgrab ("barrow", "burial mound" or "tumulus") sites in Germany dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Age.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Name

!Place

!Region

!Bundesland

!Type

!Date

!Era

|-

|Auleben grave-hill field

|Auleben

|Nordhausen

|Thuringia

|Grave-hill field

|1500–1200&nbsp;BC

|Bronze Age

|-

|Benther hill

|

|Region Hannover

|Lower Saxony

| rowspan="4" |Hilly-grave

|1800–1100&nbsp;BC

|Early Nordic Bronze Age

|-

|/Mühltal

|Gauting

|Munich area

|Bavaria

|2000–1500&nbsp;BC

| rowspan="4" |Bronze Age

|-

|

|Itzehoe

|Kreis Steinburg

|Schleswig-Holstein

|1500–1300&nbsp;BC

|-

|

|

|Landkreis Hildesheim

| rowspan="2" |Lower Saxony

|1600–1200&nbsp;BC

|-

|Bonstorf Barrows

|Bonstorf

|Landkreis Celle

|grave-hill field

|1500–1200&nbsp;BC

|-

|

|Marburg

|Landkreis Marburg-Biedenkopf

|Hesse

|>200 Hilly-graves

| 1600 – 5th century BC

|Middle Bronze Age (Tumulus culture), Late Bronze Age (Urnfield culture), Iron Age (Hallstatt Culture)

|-

|

|Willhof

|Landkreis Schwandorf

| rowspan="2" |Bavaria

|Hilly-grave

|1516&nbsp;BC

|Middle Bronze Age, early La Tene culture

|-

|Daxberg Tumuli (Mömbris)

|

|Landkreis Aschaffenburg

|Hilly-grave field

|2000–800&nbsp;BC

|Iron Age

|-

|Hohenfelde

|Hohenfelde (Mecklenburg)

|Mecklenburgische Seenplatte

| rowspan="2" |Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

|7 Hilly-graves

| 1700&nbsp;BC

|Bronze Age

|-

|Neu Quitzenow

|Neu Quitzenow

|Rostock

|2 Hilly-graves

|1800–600&nbsp;BC

|

|-

|Grabhügel von Leubingen

|Leubingen

|Sömmerda

|Thuringen

| grave-hill

|1940 BC

|Unetice culture

|-

|}

Barrows or tumuli sites in Germany dating to the Late Bronze and Iron Age.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Name

!Place

!Region

!Bundesland

!Type

!Date

!Era

|-

|Pöckinger Gemeindegebiet (Pöcking local community area)

|Pöcking

|Munich area

|Bavaria

|grave-hill field

|c. 750–500&nbsp;BC

|Hallstatt culture

|-

|Glauberg

|Glauburg

|Wetteraukreis

| rowspan="2" |Hesse

|Kings graves

|5th century BC

|Early Celtic Age

|-

|Lahnberge

|Marburg

|Landkreis Marburg-Biedenkopf

|>200 Hilly graves

|c. 1600 – 5th century BC

|Middle Bronze Age (Tumulus culture), Late Bronze Age (Urnfield culture), Iron Age (Hallstatt Culture)

|-

|Hohmichele

|Hundersingen

|Landkreis Sigmaringen

| rowspan="3" |Baden-Württemberg

|Kings graves

|c. 600–450&nbsp;BC

| rowspan="3" |Hallstatt culture

|-

|Grave-hill of Hochdorf

|Hochdorf an der Enz

|Landkreis Ludwigsburg

|Hilly-grave

|5th century BC

|-

|Lehbühl

|Schlaitdorf

|Landkreis Esslingen

|Hill-grave

|c. 600–400&nbsp;BC

|-

|Daxberg Tumuli (Mömbris)

|

|Landkreis Aschaffenburg

| rowspan="2" |Bavaria

| rowspan="2" |Hilly-grave field

|c. 2000–800&nbsp;BC

| rowspan="2" |Iron Age

|-

|Daxberg Tumuli (Erkheim)

|

|Landkreis Unterallgäu

|8th century BC

|-

|Neu Quitzenow

|Neu Quitzenow

|Rostock

|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

|2 Hilly-graves

|c. 1800–600&nbsp;BC

|

|-

|

|Seddin

|Landkreis Prignitz

|Brandenburg

|Kings graves

|8th century BC

| rowspan="2" |Bronze Age

|-

|

|Wildeshausen

|Landkreis Oldenburg

|Lower Saxony

|~ 500 grave-hills

|c. 900–200&nbsp;BC

|-

|Magdalenenberg

|Villingen

|Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis

|Baden-Württemberg

|Kings grave

|c. 616&nbsp;BC

| rowspan="2" |Hallstatt culture

|-

|

|Bell (Hunsrück)

|Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis

|Rhineland-Palatinate

|Wagon-grave

|500&nbsp;BC

|-

|

|Falkenberg (in Schweinert Nature reserve)

|Landkreis Elbe-Elster

|Brandenburg

|642-hill-graves field

|c. 1000&nbsp;BC

|

|-

|Breitenfeld

|Neuhausen ob Eck

|Landkreis Tuttlingen

|Baden-Württemberg

|21 grave-hills

|c. 700&nbsp;BC – 450 AD

|Hallstatt culture

|-

|}

Barrows or tumuli sites in Germany dating to the Stone Age.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Name

!Place

!Region

!Bundesland

!Type

!Date

!Era

|-

|

|Grabau (Stormarn)

|Kreis Stormarn

|Schleswig-Holstein

|9 grave-hills

|6500–5500&nbsp;BC

|Young Stone Age

|-

|Mansenberge

|Groß Berßen

|Landkreis Emsland

|Lower Saxony

|Great stone grave

|3600–2800&nbsp;BC

|Megalith Culture

|-

|}

Other Barrows/tumuli in Germany of unstated date.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Name

!Place

!Region

!Bundesland

!Type

!Date

!Era

|-

|Beckdorf

|Beckdorf

|Landkreis Stade

|Lower Saxony

|Hilly-grave

|

|

|-

|Heidelberg

|Wiera

|Schwalm-Eder-Kreis

|Hesse

|Hill-grave

|

| rowspan="2" |Bronze Age

|-

|Mellingstedt

|Lemsahl-Mellingstedt

|Wandsbek

|Hamburg

|Hilly-grave

|

|-

|Höltinghausen

|Höltinghausen

|Landkreis Cloppenburg

|Lower Saxony

|Hilly-grave field

|

|

|-

|Plankenheide

|Nettetal

|Kreis Viersen

|North Rhine-Westphalia

|Hill-grave

|

|

|-

|Kranzberger Forst

|Kranzberg

|Landkreis Freising

|Bavaria

|19 Hilly-graves

|

|Bronze Age

|-

|Maaschwitz

|Maaschwitz

|Muldentalkreis

|Saxony

|Hilly-graves

|

|

|-

|Plaggenschale

|Plaggenschale

|Landkreis Osnabrück

|Lower Saxony

|

|

|

|-

|Tumulus von Nennig

|Nennig

|Landkreis Merzig-Wadern

|Saarland

|Grave-hill

|

|Bronze Age

|-

|Winckelbarg

|

|Landkreis Stade

|Lower Saxony

|

|

|

|-

|}

Ireland

A tumulus can be found close to the Grianán of Aileach in County Donegal. It has been suggested by historians such as George Petrie, who surveyed the site in the early 19th century, that the tumulus may predate the ringfort of Aileach by many centuries possibly to the Neolithic age. Surrounding stones were laid horizontally, and converged towards the centre. The mound had been excavated in Petrie's time, but nothing explaining its meaning was discovered. It was subsequently destroyed, but its former position is marked by a heap of broken stones. Similar mounds can be found at The Hill of Tara and there are several prominent tumuli at Brú na Bóinne in County Meath.

thumb|Banditaccia Tumulus in [[Cerveteri|Cerveteri, Italy.]]

Italy

thumb|Interior of the Tomba Margareth, Etruscan tumulus near [[Blera, Italy|left|212x212px]]Some large tumulus tombs can be found especially in the Etruscan culture, carved directly into the local limestone (tufa), and covered by a limestone dome and a layer of dirt and grass (see image to the right). From the outside, they resemble burial mounds.

The interior of these tumuli, however, is what makes them so unique. Most tombs have one central corridor, where sarcophagi and urns house the cremated remains of the deceased were found, and the various rooms to either side of the corridor which contain the deceased's various belongings.

Many tombs also hold paintings, or frescos, that in many cases represent the funeral, scenes of real life, or the afterlife. The most significant necropolises with tumulus tombs are Veio, Cerveteri, Vetulonia, and Populonia. The tumulus of Montopoli is relative of archaic center Colli della Città along paratiberina way in Tiber Valley.

Smaller barrows are dated to the Villanova period (ninth-eighth centuries BC), but the biggest were used in the following centuries (from the seventh century afterwards) by the Etruscan aristocracy.thumb|left|Dissemination of tumuli in the Netherlands; in red "regular" tumuli, in blue [[Urnfield culture|urn fields|235x235px]]

Netherlands

thumb|[[Vorstengraf (Oss)|Vorstengraf near Oss (Netherlands) from above]] Burial mounds are the most numerous archaeological monuments in the Netherlands. In many places, these prehistoric graves are still clearly visible as low hills. The oldest tumuli (grafheuvels) in the Netherlands were built near Apeldoorn about 5,000 years ago. Concentrations of tumuli from the Bronze Age are located on the Veluwe and Drenthe.

Early scholarly investigation of tumuli and hunebedden and theorising as to their origins was undertaken from the 17th century by notably Johan Picardt. Although many have disappeared over the centuries, some 3000 tumuli are known of which 636 are protected as Rijksmonument. The largest tumulus in the Netherlands is the grave of a king near Oss. Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Drents Museum, and Huis van Hilde have findings from tumuli in their collections.

Portugal

thumb|Tumulus at Outeiro de Gregos, Baião, [[Portugal (5th or 4th millennium BC)]]

One of the densest manifestations of the megalithic phenomenon in Europe occurred in Portugal. In the north of the country there are more than 1000 late prehistoric barrows. They generally occur in clusters, forming a necropolis. The method of inhumation usually involves a dolmen. The tumuli, dated from to 1900&nbsp;BC, are up to 3&nbsp;metres high, with diameters from 6 to 30&nbsp;metres. Most of them are mounds of earth and stones, but the more recent ones are composed largely or entirely of stones (cairns). In Portuguese, barrows are called , from the Latin , given to them by the Romans because of their shape, similar to the breast of a woman.

Scandinavia

thumb|[[Kuninkaanhauta in Panelia, Finland]]

Burial mounds were in use from the Stone Age until the 11th century in Scandinavia and figure heavily in Norse paganism. In their original state they usually appear as small, man-made hillocks, though many examples have been damaged by ploughing or plundering so that little visible evidence remains.

The tumuli of Scandinavia is of a great variety of designs, depending on the cultural traditions of the era in which they were constructed. The tumuli tombs may contain single graves, collective graves and both inhumation and cremation was practiced, again depending on the era, but also on geography. Many tumuli in Scandinavia shows a continuation of use from Stone Age to Viking Age. In the Viking Age (and perhaps in earlier times as well) burning the deceased, was believed to transfer the person to Valhalla by the consuming force of fire. Archaeological finds testifies that the cremation fire could reach temperatures of up to 1500&nbsp;°C. The remains were often covered with cobblestones and then a layer of gravel and sand and finally a thin layer of turf or placed in urns. The tumuli were used for ancestral worshipping, an important practice in Norse culture and many places shows continuation of use for millennia.

Sweden

thumb|King Björn's barrow in Håga, [[Sweden]]

  • Anundshög, located just outside the City of Västerås, is Sweden's largest burial mound.
  • Gamla Uppsala, The Royal mounds (Swedish: Kungshögarna) is the name for the three large barrows which are located in Gamla Uppsala. According to ancient mythology and folklore, it would be the three gods Thor, Odin and Freyr lying in Kungshögarna or Uppsala högar.
  • Gravhög Gårdstånga, situated in Eslöv Municipality, Skåne County, is the site of a Bronze Age burial mound, (Swedish: Gravhög).
  • Hågahögen, King Björn's barrow in Håga (Old Norse word: haugr) near Uppsala has a very strong connection with Björn at Haugi.
  • Kungshögar, an archaeological site on the Lake Mälaren island of Adelsö in Ekerö Municipality, contains five large burial mounds.
  • Skalunda hög in Västergötland, the site of Skalunda Barrow, an historic burial mound.
Norway

thumb|[[Jellhaugen, Norway's 2nd biggest tumulus ]]

  • Raknehaugen (in Romerike), dated to , is the largest tumulus in Northern Europe, measuring at in diameter and a height of .
  • Jellhaugen (in Halden Municipality, Østfold county), considered the 2nd biggest in Norway, and dated back to around 500&nbsp;AD.
  • Gokstadhaugen (in Sandefjord Municipality, Vestfold county), a burial mound with a ship burial containing the Gokstad ship, a Viking era ship dating to the 9th century. The ship is the largest in the Viking Ship Museum in Bygdøy, Oslo.
  • Oseberghaugen, the Oseberg burial mound at Oseberg near Tønsberg in Vestfold county, contained the Oseberg ship, a well-preserved Viking era ship dating from around 800&nbsp;AD.
  • Borrehaugene (Borre mound cemetery) forms part of the Borre National Park in Horten Municipality, Vestfold county. The park covers and its collection of burial mounds includes, seven large mounds and one 25 small cairns.
  • Båthaugen (in Sarpsborg Municipality, Østfold county), a boat burial mound found at Rolvsøy which contained the Tune ship, a Viking Age ship of the "karv" type. The ship was built around AD 900 and is made of clinkered oak planks.
  • Storhaug (Great Mound) ship's burial mound Avaldsnes in Karmøy Municipality in Rogaland County, which contained a ship made of oak.
  • Grønhaug (Green Mound), a ship burial at Avaldsnes, contained an approximately long boat with remains of a man's grave from the 10th century.
  • Flagghaugen (Flag Hill Mound) at Avaldsnes, one of Norway's richest grave dating from the pre-Viking Period, contained a neck ring of t) of pure gold, weapons, bandoleer mountings and various tubs of silver and bronze.
  • Karnilshaugen, in Gloppen Municipality in Vestland county, is Karnil's tumulus.
  • Osneshaugen (in Ulsteinvik in Møre og Romsdal county), a tumulus overlooking the Osnes beach. It is believed to have been sacked, and has not been excavated in modern times. It has been dated to the Bronze Age.
Denmark

thumb|The tumulus Tinghøjen located between [[Randers and Viborg, one of about 26,000 conserved tumuli in Denmark. Photo from January 2010 AD]]

Denmark has about 20,000 preserved tumuli, with the oldest being around 5,000 years old. A great number of tumuli in Denmark has been destroyed in the course of history, ploughed down for agricultural fields or used for road or dyke constructions. Tumuli have been protected by law since 1937 and is officially supervised by the Danish Agency for Culture. Examples of tumuli in Denmark are:

  • Yding Skovhøj in Horsens Municipality, Jutland is one of Denmark's Bronze Age burial mounds built on the top of the hill.
  • Hov Dås in Thisted Municipality, North Jutland is one of Denmark's neolithic burial mounds built on the top of the hill.
  • Klekkende Høj is a megalithic passage grave constructed in the Stone Age on the island of Møn. It takes its name from the nearby village of Klekkende.
  • Lindholm Høje is a major Viking and Iron Age burial site and former settlement, situated to the north of and overlooking the city of Aalborg.
  • Grønjægers Høj, meaning "the mound of Green Hunter", dates to the Nordic Bronze Age and is located near Fanefjord Church on the Danish island of Møn.
  • Gorm and Thyra's Høje, two huge burial mounds at Jelling.

North America

thumb|The burial mound at L'Anse Amour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Canada

thumb|[[Serpent Mounds Park, located near Peterborough, Ontario, was named because of the zig-zag serpent shapes of its mounds.]]

L'Anse Amour is an archaeological site located in the Strait of Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. This site consists of a single burial mound that is 8 meters in diameter. The remains of a juvenile were found at the site along with a variety of artifacts, including tools and points made from stone and animal bones, a bone whistle, and red ochre colored stones. The juvenile is oriented with their head facing north and their body fully extended. This site has been dated to 8,300 years ago.

This site has been pointed to as an early example of the burial traditions characteristic of the Maritime Archaic Community. Similar sites are located throughout this region, although this tradition seems to have reached its peak around 1,000 years after the construction of the site at L'Anse Amour. Many of these Maritime Archaic burial sites are removed from areas of habitation and may have acted as meeting places for people from across wide areas. The Innu people, who inhabit this area today, were sometimes fearful that the souls of the dead could do harm to the living and therefore buried them in isolated areas under stones. While archaeologists are unsure of the intentions behind the location and construction of this site, these more recent beliefs may suggest that the juvenile at L'Anse Amour may have been buried in this way to protect the living.

In Southwestern British Columbia, several types of burial mounds are known from the Salishan region (Hill-Tout 1895).

United States

thumb|[[Grave Creek Mound, located in Moundsville, West Virginia, was built by the Adena culture.]]

thumb|[[Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park|Ocmulgee National Monument Funeral Mound, circa 1876]]

Mound building was a central feature of the public architecture of many Native American and Mesoamerican cultures from Chile to Minnesota. Thousands of mounds in the United States have been destroyed as a result of farming, pot-hunting, amateur and professional archaeology, road-building and construction. Surviving mounds are still found in river valleys, especially along the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Rivers, and as far west as Spiro Mounds in Oklahoma.

Mounds were used for burial, to support residential and religious structures, to represent a shared cosmology, and to unite and demarcate community. Common forms include conical mounds, ridge-top mounds, platform mounds, and animal effigy mounds, but there are many variations. Mound building in the US is believed to date back to at least 3400&nbsp;BC in the Southeast (see Watson Brake). The Adena and the Mississippian cultures are principally known for their mounds, as is the Hopewell tradition. The largest mound site north of Mexico is Cahokia Mounds, a vast World Heritage Site located just east of St. Louis, Missouri.

South America

Uruguay

thumb|Cerritos in [[Rocha Department|Rocha, Uruguay]]

The Cerritos de Indios (Spanish for: Indian Mounds or Indian Little Hills) are a collection of more than 3000 tumulus or earth mounds found mainly in the eastern region of Uruguay.

Of different sizes and shapes, some of them date back 4000–5000 years, being among the oldest examples of tumulus building in the new world. The identity of the people group responsible for their construction is unknown, as they left no written records.

It is believed that mounds were used for burial, as well for living and practicing agriculture in the flat marshlands and plains of eastern Uruguay.

See also

  • King asleep in mountain
  • Barrow-downs, in Tolkien's Middle-earth
  • Muranë

References

Sources

  • Grinsell, L.V., 1936, The Ancient Burial-mounds of England. London: Methuen.
  • English Heritage Monument Class Descriptions
  • The Victorian Barrow Diggers of Wales
  • Location Tumuli of Grimde Tienen
  • Comprehensive Database of Archaeological Site Reports in Japan
  • Heritage Quest, research project using LiDAR data
  • Llewellynn Jewitt (1870), Grave-mounds and Their Contents, London: Groombridge and Sons.