Verification program of megalithic tombs in Western Pomerania – from 19th-century explorers of antiquity to modern non-invasive research

The article presents a long-standing tradition of research on megaliths in Western Pomerania. It includes a comprehensive discussion of the main objectives, methods and results of the most recent project dedicated to the identification of megalithic cemeteries in the region, and conducted at the University of Szczecin. The project aimed to verify the known megalithic locations and to discover new ones, enriching our understanding of Neolithic landscapes shaped by the Funnel Beaker culture. The results confirm the significant potential of combining historical sources (such as archive sources, cartographic analyses, toponymic analyses) with modern methods used in archaeology (such as aerial photography, geophysical prospection, aerial laser scanning, visibility analysis). The study also highlights the heritage value of megaliths and their potential for archaeotourism and public engagement.