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Excavations in central China uncovered a 5,000-year-old tomb filled with artifacts from the Dawenkou Culture.
Experts believe the size of the tomb and wealth of the artifacts show the owner was a prehistoric king.
The diversity of artifacts within the excavation offers cultural connections beyond one region.
Archaeologists uncovered a new range of tombs at the Wangzhuang ruins this fall in central China’s Henan Province. Especially exciting is tomb M27, which likely belonged to a prehistoric king judging by the size of the tomb, coffins, and bounty of burial artifacts. In fact, experts now believe that the entire site could have been the capital of a prehistoric kingdom, stemming from the ancient Neolithic Dawenkou Culture that existed from 4000 B.C. to 2600 B.C.
“The latest discovery indicates that the Wangzhuang ruins are not an ordinary settlement, but rather the capital of a prehistoric kingdom,” Zhu Guanghua, associate professor at Capital Normal University and lead architect on the excavation, said according to China Daily.
The size of the tomb served as the first clue. Running about 15 feet long and stretching roughly 12 feet wide, it’s one of the largest from the period. Even the wooden coffin is impressive, with an inner and outer vessel together measuring about 182 square feet. Additionally, inside the tomb were about 350 burial artifacts, including almost 200 jade ornaments, bone tools, animal remains, and 100 pieces of pottery. The presence of the pig mandibles—the most common animal bone in the tomb—was a signifier of wealth.
The artifacts spanned the eastern and central regions of ancient China and the Yangtze River basin. “Its discoveries testify to the initial exchanges of early Chinese civilization, providing evidence for the nature of diversity within Chinese civilization,” said Li Zinwei, deputy director for the Institute of Ancient History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. “This site offers important examples for studying cultural fusion across different prehistoric regions.”
While many artifacts originated from far and wide, there were also finds that pointed to local rituals, such as the burial of a water deer’s teeth and small-mouthed jars. Archaeology Magazine reported that the Dawenkou Culture is known for advancements in pottery production, and helped shape the ritual culture of Chinese dynasties.
Guanghua also believes that the tomb shows evidence of damage from soon after it was built. This could be an intentional act of defiance from rivals, as the remains of the tomb’s owner were largely removed—with only toe bones left behind—and ceremonial pieces were intentionally broken.
The M27 was the most prominent find at the site, but archaeologists uncovered a total of 45 tombs from the Dawenkou Culture. “The exquisite pottery, stone tools, and jade artifacts vividly demonstrate the division of labor and the level of productivity at the time,” said archaeologist Liu Haiwang. “The richness of the burial objects is closely linked to the size of the tombs, indicating that a clear social hierarchy and class stratification had already emerged.”
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