PATTERNS OF MOUNDSCAPE BETWEEN DNIESTER, PRUT AND DANUBE RIVERS
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2021-03-09

The erecting of barrows over the dead appeared in the Pontic area of Eastern Europe in late Eneolithic, 3900—3800 BC. Since that time barrow rite became an important part of the funeral praxis of the various cultures of Bronze, Iron ages, Roman, Medieval and Modern periods till the turn of 18-19th centuries. The preliminary statistics of excavated barrows demonstrates the existence of two main periods in the tumuli erecting: Early Bronze Age (Usatovo, Yamnaya cultures, 3500—2000 BC) and Late Bronze Age — Iron Age — Roman period (Belozerka, Scythian, Sarmatian cultures, 1200 BC — 400 AD). There are excavated and published more than 700 barrows (5.000 burials) between Dniester and Prut rivers. The first barrows in the region of interest were excavated in the late 19th century, but the peak of barrow research is documented for 1970-1980s. Analysis of satellite images and topographical maps composed before the wide-spread excavations showed the main concentrations of barrows (sampling is over 10.000) and the linear patterns of their distribution connected to the natural features of relief. Barrow lines are predominantly placed on the ridges and oriented parallel to the rivers. The preliminary analysis of excavated barrow lines demonstrates the fact of the initial planning of the burial grounds by the early cultures and subsequent use due to the linear pattern, probably connected to the roads, trackways or migration routes.


Author(s): Topal, Denis (University of High Anthropological School; National Agency for Archaeology)