▁Central ▁Asian ▁arch ae ology . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁k urg ans ▁date ▁to ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁mill en ni um ▁BC ▁in ▁the ▁C au cas us , ▁and ▁research ers ▁associate ▁these ▁with ▁the ▁Ind o - Europe ans . ▁K urg ans ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁E ne ol ith ic , ▁Bron ze , ▁Iron , ▁Anti qu ity ▁and ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁with ▁ancient ▁trad itions ▁still ▁active ▁in ▁Southern ▁Si ber ia ▁and ▁Central ▁Asia . ▁Ar che olog ists ▁divide ▁k urg an ▁cult ures ▁into ▁different ▁sub - c ult ures , ▁such ▁as ▁Tim ber ▁Gra ve , ▁Pit ▁Gra ve , ▁S cy th ian , ▁S arm at ian , ▁H unn ish ▁and ▁K uman - K ip ch ak . ▁ ▁Many ▁pla cen ames ▁contain ▁the ▁word ▁k urg an . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁and ▁spread ▁The ▁earliest ▁known ▁k urg ans ▁are ▁dated ▁to ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁mill en ni um ▁BC ▁in ▁the ▁C au cas us . ▁K urg an ▁bar rows ▁were ▁characteristic ▁of ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁pe op les , ▁and ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁from ▁Mong olia , ▁Kaz akh stan , ▁Alt ay ▁Mountains , ▁C au cas us , ▁Russia , ▁Ukraine , ▁Roman ia , ▁and ▁Bulg aria . ▁K urg ans ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁Ukrain ian ▁and ▁Russian ▁ste pp es , ▁their ▁use ▁spread ing ▁with ▁migration ▁into ▁eastern , ▁central , ▁and ▁northern ▁Europe ▁in