Scorobir Scythian Necropolis in Poltava region may contain up to one thousand burial mounds

According to Ukrinform, this was stated by Ihor Korost, Director of the Bilsk Historical and Cultural Reserve, in a comment.

“The Scorobir Necropolis is one of the largest Scythian-period burial grounds in Western Europe. Initially, there may have been as many as one thousand mounds. The necropolis covers almost 700 hectares. Research has been ongoing since 1906. During this time, more than 70 kurgans within the site have been excavated,” Korost noted.

By Order No. 956 of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, dated November 25, 2025, this archaeological site has been officially inscribed in the State Register of Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Real Property.

The Scorobir Kurgan Necropolis is located 2.5 kilometers west of the Bilsk Hillfort (the ancient city of Helon), near the village of Bilsk of the Kotelva community in the Poltava region. For several centuries, the burial ground served as a necropolis for representatives of the local elite, beginning to take shape in the last quarter of the 7th century BC. A significant number of elite burials discovered during excavations date to the 6th century BC. Overall, the necropolis remained in use until the 4th century BC.

According to Ihor Korost, the inclusion of the burial ground in the State Register will significantly strengthen the protection and preservation of the site. In particular, landowners (or users) of the plots on which the necropolis mounds are located will now, under the law, conclude protection agreements that clearly define the conditions and restrictions on land use. Special scientific and project documentation will also be developed for the burial ground, and its data on the boundaries of the monument and its components will be reflected in the State Land Cadastre.

“We will also be able to halt the plowing of the kurgans. Unfortunately, this process had continued for centuries within the burial ground,” the Director of the Reserve added.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Poltava region has completed the preparation and approval of registration documentation for 52 archaeological sites belonging to the complex of monuments of the territory and surroundings of the Bilsk Hillfort and the Bilsk Historical and Cultural Reserve.

Photo: facebook.com/bilskgelon