As Russian missile strikes and heavy assaults by ground troops pace deadly attacks on Ukraine, a new report by University of Virginia researchers reveals another destructive facet of Russia's invasion.
Using commercial satellite imagery and other open-source information, associate professor of sociology Fiona Greenland and other researchers with UVA's Cultural Resilience Informatics and Analysis, or CURIA, Lab determined that multiple ancient Ukrainian burial mounds have been damaged in two locations currently occupied by Russian troops—a potential violation of international law.
These historically significant burial sites, called "kurgans," were constructed by the ancient peoples of the Ukrainian steppe. The mounds, up to 65 feet tall, contain human remains and artifacts dating back as far as 3000 B.C.E.
Greenland and the other archaeologists and researchers on CURIA's interdisciplinary team analyzed satellite imagery that they say indicates the kurgans have been disrupted by Russian trench lines, paths and fortifications built on and near the mounds.
Russian Federation armed forces may be using the kurgans to establish advantageous fighting and firing positions, the report asserts. While wartime damage to cultural heritage sites may be expected, damage to the kurgans could be a violation of international law, Greenland said.
