In archaeology and anthropology, a barrow is a large mound of earth or stone built over a grave or group of graves. It is one of the most prominent forms of prehistoric funerary architecture in Europe and beyond, often serving both practical and symbolic purposes.

🌍 Definition

• Barrow: A burial mound, typically covering one or more interments.
• Types:
  • Round barrows: Circular mounds, common in the Bronze Age.
  • Long barrows: Elongated mounds, often Neolithic, covering collective burials.
• Etymology: From Old English beorg (“hill, mound”).

🔑 Archaeological Contexts

• Neolithic Europe:
  • Long barrows used for communal burials, reflecting collective identity.
• Bronze Age Britain:
  • Round barrows often contained individual elite burials with grave goods.
• Scandinavia & Continental Europe:
  • Barrows associated with warrior elites and ritual landscapes.
• Material Construction:
  • Built from earth, turf, stone, and sometimes timber frameworks.

📚 Importance in Anthropology

• Funerary Practice: Barrows reveal beliefs about death, ancestry, and cosmology.
• Social Stratification: Size and richness of barrows often reflect hierarchy and status.
• Landscape Symbolism: Barrows served as territorial markers and sacred monuments.
• Comparative Insight: Similar mound traditions appear globally (e.g., Native American effigy mounds, Japanese kofun).

In short: A barrow is a prehistoric burial mound, serving as both a grave marker and a cultural monument, reflecting social hierarchy and ritual landscapes.