Yampil barrows from the fourth and third millennia BC in the light of Polish-Ukrainian investigations 2010-2014

In the vicinity of Yampil (Vinnytsia oblast, Ukraine), there exists a cluster of barrows dating back to the Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age. Nestled upon the Podillia Upland, this concentration lies at the crossroads of two cultural spheres: the Eastern European steppe and Central European region. The exploration of the Yampil barrows began during the 1980s by archaeologists from Vinnytsia. This endeavour was enriched by a Polish-Ukrainian expedition that conducted fieldwork from 2010 to 2014. Seven barrows were then examined. Today, an abundance of radiocarbon data allows the construction of a precise chronological framework for the Yampil barrow graves. We can now discern four principal stages in this sequence: (1) Late Eneolithic, (2) early Yamna, (3) late Yamna era, and (4) Catacombna. During the first two periods (3350-2800 cal BC), these barrows were meticulously constructed, sometimes evolving in multiple phases. In the latter two stages (2800-2400 cal BC), cemeteries took shape, marked by graves deliberately dug into the fully formed mounds.