What is a tumulus?

A tumulus is an artificial mound of earth, turf or stones raised over one or more graves. The word is Latin and simply means ‘mound’. In Britain such mounds are often called barrows. A tumulus can be a simple heap of earth, but also a large monument with a stone burial chamber or passage inside.

Origins and construction

Burial mounds were raised across much of Europe and Asia, from prehistory into the Roman period and the early Middle Ages. Their construction varies by period and region:

• Earth or turf mound: the grave lies on or below the old ground surface, with soil or heathland turves heaped over it.
• Mound with burial chamber: inside is a chamber of stone or timber, sometimes reached through a passage.
• Ring ditch or post circle: a ditch or ring of posts often surrounded the mound and marked the edge of the monument.

Examples

• Vorstengraf at Oss (Netherlands): one of the largest burial mounds in the Netherlands and Belgium, about 54 metres across. When it was found in 1933 it held a bronze vessel containing an iron sword from the early Iron Age (around 700 BC).
• Gallo-Roman tumuli in Haspengouw (Belgium): Roman burial mounds still survive around Tongeren.
• Further afield: the Etruscan tumuli of Cerveteri in Italy and the kurgans of Russia and Ukraine.

Application and relevance today

Nobody builds tumuli any more, but they still matter in practice. Many burial mounds are protected as archaeological monuments. Anyone planning to dig, build or fell trees on or near such a site should expect archaeological investigation and consent requirements.

Practical tips

• Check for protected sites: ask your local authority or heritage agency whether your plot lies in an area of archaeological interest.
• Report finds: if you hit bones, pottery or unusual soil layers while digging, stop work and report it to the relevant authority.
• Keep machinery off: even a low, barely visible mound may be protected.

Related terms

• Hunebed
• Dolmen
• Mastaba
• Crypt
• Funerary chapel

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