Tumulus

A tumulus (pl.: tumuli) is a <a href="/facts/Mound/lQqjrYQk">mound</a> of <a href="/facts/Soil/5Ddpr3QM">earth</a> and <a href="/facts/Rock_(geology)/FXCJkmop">stones</a> raised over a <a href="/facts/Grave/BF6tQveT">grave</a> or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as <a href="/facts/Kurgan/4LcU3JeE">kurgans</a>, and may be found throughout much of the world. A <a href="/facts/Cairn/wlwuhNvp">cairn</a>, 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 <a href="/facts/Long_barrow/N7AwW15q">long barrow</a> is a long tumulus, usually constructed on top of several <a href="/facts/Burial/Pwz8EyUx">burials</a>, such as <a href="/facts/Passage_grave/RqpFg5ce">passage graves</a>. A <a href="/facts/Round_barrow/0paWah3q">round barrow</a> 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 inhumation may involve a <a href="/facts/Dolmen/2QpLRvG3">dolmen</a>, a <a href="/facts/Cist/mr0VJoTc">cist</a>, a <a href="/facts/Mortuary_enclosure/8xSjQHuF">mortuary enclosure</a>, a <a href="/facts/Mortuary_house/Ats9BHy9">mortuary house</a>, or a <a href="/facts/Chamber_tomb/hvBVzlmG">chamber tomb</a>. Examples of barrows include <a href="/facts/Duggleby_Howe/oXyR44Kr">Duggleby Howe</a> and <a href="/facts/Maeshowe/XT1YhdIW">Maeshowe</a>.

Tumulus open-in-new

Tumulus