Burial Mounds Research Articles

Assessing the quality of citizen science in archaeological remote sensing: results from the Heritage Quest project in the Netherlands

Volunteers are a key part of the archaeological labour force and, with the growth of digital datasets, these citizen scientists represent a vast pool of interpretive potential; yet, concerns remain about the quality and reliability of crowd-sourced data. This article evaluates the classification of prehistoric barrows on lidar images of the central Netherlands by thousands of volunteers on the Heritage Quest project. In analysing inter-user agreement and assessing results against fieldwork at 380 locations, the authors show that the probability of an accurate barrow identification is related to volunteer consensus in image classifications. Even messy data can lead to the discovery of many previously undetected prehistoric burial mounds.

Multi‐Method Structural Investigation of the Schneiderberg–Baalberge Burial Mound (Saxony‐Anhalt, Germany) Including Seismic Full‐Waveform Inversion (FWI)

ABSTRACTThe construction history and subsequent usage of burial mounds are an important testimony for socio‐economic transformation in prehistoric societies. The Baalberge–Schneiderberg burial mound, subject of the presented study, falls in this category as it is considered as an important monument that indicates the emergence of early social stratification during the Chalcolithic period in central Europe. This hypothesis relies on the chronological development of the burial mound, which is not fully understood until now. Therefore, a reconstruction of the complex stratigraphy of the burial mound including construction phases and later alterations is highly relevant for archaeological research, but the required excavations would be onerous and inconsistent with preservation efforts. In this paper, we demonstrate that non‐invasive geophysical prospection, especially seismic sounding with shear and Love waves, is suitable to obtain the required stratigraphic information, if seismic full waveform inversion (FWI) and reflection imaging are applied. Complementary information on the preservation state of the mound is obtained through Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) measurements. To support the seismic and geoelectric results, we utilize Dynamic Testing (DynP), geoarchaeological corings, 14C‐Dating and archaeological records. Our investigations reveal two construction phases of the Baalberge–Schneiderberg mound. The 14C‐Dating yields dates for the older burial mound that are contemporary to the Chalcolithic Baalberge group (4000–3400 bc). During the Early Bronze Age (EBA), the mound was enlarged to its final size by people of the Aunjetitz/Únětice society (2300–1600 bc). However, both seismic and geoelectric depth sections show an extensive disturbance of the original stratigraphy due to former excavations. For this reason, the exact shape of the older burial mound cannot be determined exactly. Based on our data, we estimate that its height was below 2 m. In consequence, the original Baalberge burial mound was less monumental as until now assumed, which potentially prompting a revision of its significance as indicator for social differentiation.

КУРГАНЫ МОГИЛЬНИКА АЛМАЛЫК-ДЕРЕ В ПОГРЕБАЛЬНЫХ ТРАДИЦИЯХ ВОСТОЧНОЙ ЕВРОПЫ

The article considers three burial mounds from the Almalyk-dere burial ground (Mangup) that date from the second half/end of the 4th – first half of the 5th century and are associated with the initial stage of its operation. The general characteristics of the architectural features of the burial structures are presented, and on this basis a circle of closest analogies is formed from the territories of the North Caucasus, Lower Don region, Dnieper area, interfluve of Dniester and Danube, and Great Hungarian Plain (Alfeld). The greatest connection is typologically traced between the considered funeral objects and similar monuments in the North Caucasus and Lower Don.

Spilled Wine, Spilled Blood: Spilling the Secrets of the Covered Cup from the Chungul Kurgan

Abstract The covered cup, discovered in 1981 during the salvage excavation of a burial mound in southern Ukraine, is an impressive example of secular metalwork from around 1200. The cup’s interior contains a cast silver-gilt lion and a hitherto undetected siphon mechanism, making it one of the first preserved automata from Europe and the earliest known Western medieval example of this type of trick vessel. The cup from the Chungul Kurgan helps to clarify the probable operation of the chantepleure illustrated in the sketchbook of Villard de Honnecourt and sheds light on possible other medieval automata. The cup’s presence in the same burial with other works from the same approximate date and region suggests historical circumstances that might have resulted in its burial with a nomadic leader in the steppe.

Investigating soils of barrows in the Rozumice Forest (SW Poland) – Dynamics of soil and landscape evolution in a Central European loess plateau

Soil properties reflect a host of environmental conditions and land-use patterns. Formation of cultural landscapes may well be studied at barrow cemeteries, which give the opportunity of comparing the properties of buried soils, the material building the mounds and the present-day soil cover. Current archaeo-pedological research on Late Neolithic long-barrows indicates a widespread Early Holocene presence of fertile chernozemic soils in the loess zone in Silesia (SW Poland) and their subsequent transformation (en masse) into Luvisols during the Subboreal and Subatlantic. Since the timing of the transformation remains a question – to elaborate the regional chronosequence of soil evolution – we examined the barrow cemetery in the Rozumice Forest, presumably of early medieval age. We assessed the chronology of the burial mounds and properties of the soil record by analysis of ALS data and magnetometer survey, as well as pedological and archaeobotanical analyses and 14C dating of samples from cores extracted from four of the barrows. The results show that the barrows in the Rozumice Forest were most likely built in the Early Middle Ages (7-9th c. AD) using local Luvisol (clay-illuvial soil) material, after vegetation clearance by fire. The buried Luvisols found beneath the mounds bear traces of human land-use – settlement and/or agriculture during the Late Neolithic, and may be polygenetic, being the result of transformation of Early Holocene chernozemic soils.

Synergies and Trade-offs Between Cultural and Natural Values of Sacred Sites – a Case Study of Ancient Burial Mounds in Central Europe

In the Eurasian steppes, ancient burial mounds called ‘kurgans’ are among the most widespread manmade structures. These sacred sites hold cultural values and often provide safe havens for grassland-related plant species. We established links between kurgans' cultural and natural values through a comprehensive multi-layered evaluation of human and landscape history, cultural attributes, and botanical composition on selected mounds in Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. We evaluated factors that can support or endanger the grasslands on kurgans and assessed whether there are synergies or trade-offs between the presence of cultural and natural values. We found that kurgans act as cultural hotspots in transformed landscapes, and we found the following evidence for the synergies between cultural and natural values: i) Extensive land use and management connected to the cultural functions could considerably contribute to the preservation of grassland specialist plants on the mounds. ii) Over the past three centuries, most grasslands we studied were converted to cropland, but the cultural importance of the kurgans could hinder their destruction through ploughing or construction works. However, we also found that built cultural objects decreased the grassland cover area and supported the establishment and spread of several weedy and invasive species. Consequently, to preserve the valuable biocultural systems, it is essential to focus efforts on the maintenance of the already existing traditional cultural functions and not the establishment of new objects.

OPEN-SETTLEMENT AND BURIAL MOUND NEAR THE VILLAGE OF BIRULI, DOKSHITSKY DISTRICT, IN THE CONTEXT OF SYNCHRONIC ARTEFACTS OF THE LATE 1ST – EARLY 3RD MILLENNIUM AD IN THE UPPER BEREZINA DNIEPER REGION

Some factors which were reflected in the time of origin of a trade and craft open-settlement in the upper reaches of the Berezina River in the 10th century, located near the present-day village of Biruli, Dokshitsky district are being presented in the article. This favourable geographical position (the Berezina Dnieper connected Central Belarus with the Dnieper and gave access to the rivers of the Neman basin), natural conditions (a large lake, forest lands rich in game), hill-fort located near the river (the only one in the region near the Berezina). The settlement provided the population of the region with imported goods and quality ones of its own production, including pottery, which was unknown there until then. The local population supplied the former with fur and possibly slaves. This place was permanently inhabited by craftsmen – blacksmiths, jewellers, potters and representatives of the trading class, who at the same time fulfilled a military function. This environment formed the local elite, the burials of representatives of whom were recorded in the burial mounds. By the middle of the 11th century the trade route connected with the Berezina River gradually decayed and ceased to function. At that time, activities ceased at the settlement near the hill-fort near the village of Biruli. Other ones acquired exclusively agrarian in character in the region.

Meso-scale environmental heterogeneity drives plant trait distributions in fragmented dry grasslands

Environmental heterogeneity shapes the patterns of resources and limiting factors and therefore can be an important driver of plant community composition through the selection of the most adaptive functional traits. In this study, we explored plant trait–environment relationships in environmentally heterogeneous microsite complexes at the meso-scale (few meters), and used ancient Bulgarian and Hungarian burial mounds covered by dry grasslands as a model habitat. We assessed within-site trait variability typical of certain microsites with different combinations of environmental parameters (mound slopes with different aspects, mound tops, and surrounding plain grasslands) using a dataset of 480 vegetation plots. For this we calculated community-weighted means (CWMs) and abundance models. We found that despite their small size, the vegetation on mounds was characterized by different sets of functional traits (higher canopy, higher level of clonality, and heavier seeds) compared to the plain grasslands. North-facing slopes with mild environmental conditions were characterized by perennial species with light seeds, short flowering period, and a high proportion of dwarf shrubs sharply contrasted from the plain grasslands and from the south-facing slopes and mound tops with harsh environmental conditions. Patterns predicted by CWMs and abundance models differed in the case of certain traits (perenniality, canopy height, and leaf dry matter content), suggesting that environmental factors do not necessarily affect trait optima directly, but influence them indirectly through correlating traits. Due to the large relative differences in environmental parameters, contrasts in trait composition among microsites were mostly consistent and independent from the macroclimate. Mounds with high environmental heterogeneity can considerably increase variability in plant functional traits and ecological strategies at the site and landscape levels. The large trait variation on topographically heterogeneous landscape features can increase community resilience against climate change or stochastic disturbances, which underlines their conservation importance.

Helmet of the migration period from the Yuvanayag mound cemetery

The article introduces first results of the research on an iron helmet found in 2022 at the Yuvanayag mound cemetery in the Vychegda River region, the Komi Republic. The mound cemetery belongs to the circle of the Veslyansky I type cemetery, which was left by migrants with a developed military culture. Its distinctive feature was the tradition of building mounds over graves. Those burial mounds are a reflection of the late Migration Period in the European North-East (5th–7th centuries AD). The found helmet of the Bandhelm type (after Ch. Miks’s classification) is a unique specimen for the region, which also had no analogues in the adjacent territories. Based on mineralogical and geochemical studies, the helmet is made of iron with micro-inclusions of native aluminum and lignite carbon matter. The helmet overlays are made of brass with inclusions of lead-copper-zinc alloys and copper. Its elongated shape and decoration with hemispherical brass overlays are close to the helmets of Sasanian Iran. Geographically, the closest analogy to the Yuvanayag find is the Bandhelm from the predatory excavations near the village of Tsaritsyno in Ryazan Region. Preliminary dating of the artefact from the Yuvanayag burial mound is the late 4th – 5th century AD.

Mystery of Khakassian Burial Mounds in Biosemiotic Lens

Mystery of Khakassian Burial Mounds in Biosemiotic Lens

New methods in dendroarchaeology: possibilities for studying charcoals from archaeological sites (the case of the Kara-Dyt II site, Republic of Tyva)

Traditionally, charcoal from archaeological sites was considered an unsuitable material for dendrochronological dating. The authors examined 23 coal samples from the Kara-Dyt II site (Republic of Tyva, Russia). An analysis of existing solutions for sample preparation of such material showed their low speed and efficiency. This article uses the approach developed by the authors, which allows for quick and high-quality sample preparation of a large number of charcoals with minimal labour costs. As a result, it was possible to construct a 138-year tree-ring chronology using archaeological charcoal. Further work in this direction will make it possible to solve the problem of constructing a long-term tree-ring chronology in the arid zone of South Siberia. This chronology provides a unique tool for determining the calendar age of wood from numerous burial mounds in Tuva and for an in-depth study of the relationship between climate and society over the past two millennia.

익산지역 마한문화의 성립과 변천

It is generally believed that Mahan was founded before the 2nd century BC. According to historical records, Mahan began with King Jun's migration and settlement in the Iksan area. Since there are not many cases that have been investigated in relation to the residential areas with living remains, few facts of them are known accurately. The tombs constructed include wooden coffin tombs with stone mound, pit tombs, and jar coffin tombs. Out of them, however, wooden coffin tombs with stone mound and pit tombs from an early period are sporadically identified, and the mainly excavated relics are bronze ware. Following the southward transfer of King Jun, a large group of tombs were constructed as in Madong, and the relics excavated are featuring both bronze and iron ware. In light of this, it can be said that the Mahan society in the Iksan region during the establishment period developed by actively accepting advanced civilization. Around the 1st century, the Mahan society in the Iksan region faced a period of stagnation, and villages began to be built in full swing after the 2nd century AD, reaching a peak in the 3rd to 4th centuries AD. Large-scale settlements appeared in places like Sadeok and Jangshin and small- and medium-sized villages were formed and organically connected to each other around the large-scale settlements in the center. As for tombs, mounded tombs with an encircling ditch began to be built in earnest, and it can be seen as the developing period of Mahan culture.. The Mahan culture in the Iksan area sustained even after Baekje territorialization. Such dwellings as four-pillar and non-four-pillar types of Mahan culture continued and, in some dwellings, fire pits made of plate stone and utensils which can be seen as Baekje elements appear and Baekje pottery is found in the sites of dwellings. Furthermore, dwelling sites with pillars used for walls related to the center of Baekje made an entrance. Tombs of the Mahan tradition also continued to be built even after Baekje territorialization. However, the stone chamber or stone-lined tomb related to the center of Baekje were employed for burial body and the grave goods changed to Baekje pottery, while Baekje pottery was excavated within the burial mound. In the areas of Ipjeom-ri and Ungpo-ri, the lower reaches of the Geumgang River, stone- built tombs of Baekje style were built in the mid-5th century, an evidence confirming that Baekje first took control of the lower Geumgang River, an important waterway transportation route and gateway. After the Gwangam-ri area in the middle of the Mangyeong River basin first became Baekje territory, Baekje central culture seemed to have entered the surrounding areas, too.

ИСТОРИЯ ИЗУЧЕНИЯ ПОСЕЛЕНЧЕСКИХ ПАМЯТНИКОВ САРМАТСКОГО ВРЕМЕНИ В ЛЕСОСТЕПНОМ ПОДОНЬЕ

The article reveals the history of the study of hillforts and settlements of the first centuries AD on the Upper Don. The author substantiates the identification of three chronological stages in the history of settlement archeology of the Upper Don region. The first of them is associated with pre-revolutionary studies of local history societies, as well as with the work of the Upper Don expedition in the Lipetsk region and the expedition of the Voronezh State University in the Voronezh region. At this time, the process of accumulation of material from the first centuries took place, and its interpretation was limited to the term “early Iron Age”. The second stage of research began in 1978 with the creation of the Scythian-Sarmatian brigade of VSU (A.P. Medvedev) and its targeted study of burial mounds and settlements of the Sarmatian period in the forest-steppe Don region. During the same period, work was carried out by the LGPI expedition (A.N.Bessudnov), State Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Lipetsk Region (I. E. Biryukov, I. A. Kozmirchuk), as well as employees of the Department of Archaeology and History of the Ancient World of VSU (Yu. D. Razuvaev, M. V. Tsybin, A. S. Savrasov, A. D. Pryakhin, N. A. Tropin, etc.). The third stage is distinguished by the work of both scientific expeditions (A. M. Oblomsky, I. E. Biryukov, G. L. Zemtsov, Yu. D. Razuvaev, D. V. Akimov, etc.) and protective archaeological excavations. Discussions on the identification of groups of hillforts and settlements of the Sarmatian period are considered, and controversial issues of their dating are identified. From the historiographical analysis of the current state of the problem, further directions of its research logically follow: highlighting the cultural uniqueness of the settlements of the Upper Don and, especially, their chronology.

Let's Spill the BIMs. Reflections on the Potential of BIM Applications in Archaeology

Nowadays, there is a growing interest in applying BIM (Building Information Modeling) technologies to cultural heritage and archaeological sites. These applications are at an early stage for archaeology, but relevant issues clearly arise from the adaptation of BIM, originally intended for AEC, to such a diverse field. To highlight these problems, three case studies from Veneto (Italy) have been examined: two protohistoric burial mounds in perishable material from Padua and Este, and a Roman city gate at Altinum. The paper highlights the main difficulties encountered during the elaboration process, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using this specific tool. The aim is to reflect on the possibilities and reasons for the use of BIM in archaeology, and possibly to start a critical theoretical discussion about it.

Kurgans of Gazanbulag

This article presents the results of rescue archaeological excavations carried out in November 2015 — January 2016 (following the program of archaeological research in new building sites, within the framework of the South Caucasus Pipeline Expansion project) near the Gazanbulag River, in the Borsunli kurgan cemetery, and the samples of material culture of the ancient Azerbaijan population identified within the site. The surveyed area is located about one kilometer north from the village of Veyisli, on the right side of the highway leading to the district center — the city of Goranboy (Goranboy district, the Republic of Azerbaijan), at an altitude of 219 m.a.s.l. During the archaeological exploration work carried out in 2013, about 30 burial mounds were discovered on the territory of the Borsunlu “Camp” and near the Gazanbulag River. In 2015–2016, nine burial mounds were excavated at the “Camp” site. All these mounds had a covering consisting of medium and large stones. The space between the stone rows of mounds was filled with earth. Burial chambers were found in all of them except for kurgans 3 and 8. Despite the fact that mounds 7 and 9 had chambers and equipment, they did not contain human remains. In some mounds (Nos. 6, 7, 9) the burial chambers were located in the center of the mound covering, while in others (Nos. 1, 2, 4, and 5) on its slopes. In the burials, representative archaeological materials were revealed, which shed light on the study of religious beliefs, social status and life of ancient inhabitants of the analysed area of Azerbaijan. Samples of ceramic vessels found in the mounds are characteristic to the Khojaly-Gadabay archaeological culture in their shape and content. Apart from pottery, numerous bronze items of jewellery were found in the graves: bracelets, rings, earrings, diadems, flat buttons, headbands, beads. The discovered iron products are represented by knife blades and iron rod. It can be assumed that persons with a special high social status were interred in the Gazanbulag kurgan cemetery. Based on the type, structure, grave goods recovered, as well as the results of the radiocarbon analysis, the analysed burial mounds are mainly dated to the end of the Bronze Age and the begin-ning of the Early Iron Age, precisely to the 10th–9th c. BC.

Ceremonial pectorals from the Tuvan Valley of the kings

The article examines in detail two pectorals from elite burials in Tuva, namely from grave 5 in Arzhan-2 and grave 9 in Chinge-Tey I burial mounds. The images on these ceremonial objects and their morphological features were compared. The general patterns of the ornament and, to some extent, the iconography of the animal figures are extremely similar on both subjects. However, a detailed examination of the pectoral from Chinge-Tey I reveals quite a lot of differences from the Arzhan one. On both pectorals, the animals are located along the spiral-vortex pattern, but oriented in opposite directions. Despite the general similarity of the decor, probably due to the semantics of this item in culture, the animals on the pectorals were executed in a different manner. While on Chinge-Tey I pectoral the loops for passing beads were soldered along the edges of the plate, the loops on the Arzhan pectoral were located on its inner surface and only along the outer edge, but later they were cut off. The comparison reveals that these products certainly had the same semantic loading in the culture of the Central Asia nomads. Other finds in grave 9 of Chinge-Tey I suggest that a male was buried with his trophies obtained in a long-distance military campaign. Accordingly, the ceremonial pectoral may well be brought from afar. Thus, soldered loops with chains at the ends are associated with the Urartu products and are not typical for the nomad ones. It is possible that the mythologeme embedded in these items (perhaps reinterpreted by nomads) should be sought in the areas of agricultural civilizations of the Middle East, but the pectorals themselves, judging by the stable ornamental patterns, were made by craftsmen associated with closer regions, perhaps with Xinjiang. Such assumptions were made earlier in relation to the pectoral from Arzhan-2, but the discovery of another similar attribute in the grave of the Chinge-Tey I burial mound makes the hypothesis of distant western connections of the nomads of Central Asia even more plausible.

Evidence for dynastic succession among early Celtic elites in Central Europe

The early Iron Age (800 to 450 BCE) in France, Germany and Switzerland, known as the ‘West-Hallstattkreis’, stands out as featuring the earliest evidence for supra-regional organization north of the Alps. Often referred to as ‘early Celtic’, suggesting tentative connections to later cultural phenomena, its societal and population structure remain enigmatic. Here we present genomic and isotope data from 31 individuals from this context in southern Germany, dating between 616 and 200 BCE. We identify multiple biologically related groups spanning three elite burials as far as 100 km apart, supported by trans-regional individual mobility inferred from isotope data. These include a close biological relationship between two of the richest burial mounds of the Hallstatt culture. Bayesian modelling points to an avuncular relationship between the two individuals, which may suggest a practice of matrilineal dynastic succession in early Celtic elites. We show that their ancestry is shared on a broad geographic scale from Iberia throughout Central-Eastern Europe, undergoing a decline after the late Iron Age (450 BCE to ~50 CE).

S-shaped cheek-pieces from burial mounds of the nomads of the Scythian period in the Southern Urals

The article is devoted to the presentation of the typology of cheek-pieces used by the nomads of the Southern Urals in the VI–IV centuries BC and received the name S-shaped in special archaeological works. The relevance of the development is due to a significant increase in the number of cheek-pieces of various shapes found in mounds that were studied in the territory of the specified region. The number of these pieces of horse harness currently published in the scientific literature is about 200. The S-shaped cheek-pieces discussed in the article are metal rods with two holes in the body for fastening to a rein and ends bent in opposite directions at an angle to the central part. The development is based on the typology published by K.F. Smirnov in 1961, who considered S-shaped cheek-pieces as one type, represented by three options. The types were identified based on a set of characteristics that formed specific combinations and characterized the material from which the cheek-piece was made, the general configuration of the object, as well as the nature of its decoration. A sample of 57 specimens of these bridle parts was used to write the article. It is proposed to distinguish 6 types of two-hole S-shaped cheek-pieces. The dates proposed by researchers for the burial complexes containing these objects made it possible to establish the time of existence of each type among the South Ural nomads. Nomads of the Southern Urals used such cheek-pieces from the end of the 6th to the 4th centuries BC inclusive. The article examines the features of the spatial distribution of types represented by the largest number of copies.

積石木槨墓 出現期의 樣相

The wooden chamber tomb with stone mound, representing the Silla period, is characterized by its high and large burial mounds. Therefore, the emergence of wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds signifies the construction of such high and large burial mounds. However, in the early stages, the typical features of wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds were not clearly observed, leading to various uncertainties. Currently, the earliest emergence of wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds is observed in Coffins No. 3 and 4 in Tomb No. 109 in Hwangnam-dong. However, unlike typical wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds, the wooden chambers in this tomb overlap vertically, and the placement of protective stones around the perimeter of the mound is also indistinct. This paper aims to elucidate the characteristics of the emergence period of wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds, starting from these uncertainties. Four tombs dating before and after the emergence of wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds were reviewed. As a result, it was observed that despite being tombs close to the highest social hierarchy of their time, they were later overlapped or destroyed by unrelated tombs from subsequent periods. This phenomenon was commonly observed in these tombs but not in wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds that appeared afterward. Additionally, these tombs lacked protective stones and exhibited relatively low burial mounds. Therefore, the reason for overlap or destruction by later tombs can be attributed to the low and flat burial mounds. In conclusion, contrary to previous assumptions, it can be inferred that immediately after the emergence of wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds, the burial mounds were low and flat. Subsequently, they evolved to have higher burial mounds along with protective stones. Recently, instances have been confirmed where burial mounds without protective stones were overlapped vertically beneath tombs with protective stones, indicating the characteristics of the emergence period of wooden chamber tombs with stone mounds.

The Synergy between Artificial Intelligence, Remote Sensing, and Archaeological Fieldwork Validation

The increasing relevance of remote sensing and artificial intelligence (AI) for archaeological research and cultural heritage management is undeniable. However, there is a critical gap in this field. Many studies conclude with identifying hundreds or even thousands of potential sites, but very few follow through with crucial fieldwork validation to confirm their existence. This research addresses this gap by proposing and implementing a fieldwork validation pipeline. In northern Portugal’s Alto Minho region, we employed this pipeline to verify 237 potential burial mounds identified by an AI-powered algorithm. Fieldwork provided valuable information on the optimal conditions for burial mounds and the specific factors that led the algorithm to err. Based on these insights, we implemented two key improvements to the algorithm. First, we incorporated a slope map derived from LiDAR-generated terrain models to eliminate potential burial mound inferences in areas with high slopes. Second, we trained a Vision Transformer model using digital orthophotos of both confirmed burial mounds and previously identified False Positives. This further refines the algorithm’s ability to distinguish genuine sites. The improved algorithm was then tested in two areas: the original Alto Minho validation region and the Barbanza region in Spain, where the location of burial mounds was well established through prior field work.