tumuli

Tumuli, plural of tumulus, are artificial mounds raised over graves. The term is used for burial monuments in many regions and periods, from prehistoric to historic times. They can be simple earth piles or elaborate structures.

They are typically made by successive deposits of earth, stone, or both. Most have a burial chamber or pit at the core, sometimes accessed by a short passage; outer features may include a ditch, a surrounding bank, and sometimes a stone facing or ramp.

Types and regional variants: In Europe, long barrows and round barrows are common; in parts of Asia and Central Asia, kurgans or burial mounds are known; in the Americas, mound-building cultures constructed platform mounds and effigy mounds for ceremonial or burial purposes.

Tumuli mark social status of the deceased, and are often reused across generations. They frequently contain grave goods and human remains; archaeologists study their construction, artifacts, and radiocarbon dates to understand past societies. Many survive as visible earthworks, though some have been leveled or destroyed.

Related terms include barrow, cairn, dolmen; many tumuli are protected as archaeological resources in various countries.