If a tumulus is composed mainly of earth, the term ‘mound’ is more appropriate. Except for a few gallery graves surrounded by a low, thin layer of earth, the word ‘mound’ is the preferred term for certain low, round, or elongated monuments, sometimes bounded by a ditch or stone circle. They are often less visible and more fragile than the enormous cairns and their succession of walls, and do not contain passage graves; rather, they cover ditches or small cist structures – and in some cases, standing stones.
