Village, ancient burial mound and settlement site in Mähkli

The village of Mähkli is a dispersed settlement typical of Southern Estonia, where farmsteads or small groups thereof are scattered between the hills. The area is a great example of a traditional heritage landscape. In the forest here is an ancient burial and settlement site. According to ancient customs, the deceased were cremated, and charred bone fragments together with other objects were sprinkled between the tomb walls. It is believed that burial sites were exclusively built and used by a specific group of the population, probably those with a higher-than-average economic status. In the area, similar stone burial mounds from the Roman Iron Age (50-450 CE) have also been discovered in Karkküla and Alakonnu. There is an ancient settlement site dating back to the 1st or 2nd millennium BC as well. Nearby is a group of burial mounds consisting of a number of small sand mounds. Archaeologists have not yet been able to provide a full explanation as to their purpose.