By hannover-web.com On the evening of October 14th, reporters received an exciting update from the joint archaeological team at the Wangzhuang site in Yongcheng, Henan. They have uncovered a large tomb that dates back approximately 5,000 years, leading experts to speculate that the tomb’s occupant may have been a ruler of an ancient state.
The Wangzhuang site is notable for being the first large settlement from the middle and late periods of the Dawenkou culture to be discovered in the Henan region, earning a place among the “Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of 2023.” Since the beginning of 2023, a collaboration between the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Capital Normal University, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has been actively excavating this significant site.
In 2024, the team announced the discovery of 45 new Dawenkou cultural tombs at Wangzhuang, of which 27 have been explored. Many of these tombs are of high status and contain a wealth of artifacts. One notable find, labeled M27, is an exceptionally large Dawenkou culture tomb measuring approximately 4.8 meters long, 3.68 meters wide, and totaling over 17 square meters.
Liu Haiwang, the leader of the joint archaeological team and the secretary of the Party Committee at the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, shared insights during an interview with reporters. “First, the scale of this tomb is impressive; secondly, its design adheres to higher norms, indicated by the presence of coffins and outer coffins; and thirdly, the variety of artifacts uncovered is quite abundant,” he explained. The discoveries include over 300 items of pottery and jade ornaments, along with notable pieces like pig jawbones—indicative of wealth—intricately designed ivory objects, and stones that reflect significant ritual practices.
Previously, the Wangzhuang site also yielded artifact types that are unprecedented in China’s prehistoric archaeological records. These findings include groups of stone tokens, complex “jade masks,” and uniquely shaped long-necked vessels.
Zhu Guanghua, an associate professor from the History Department at Capital Normal University and the project leader at the site, emphasized to reporters that the specifications of the tomb indicate a high social status for the occupant, likely aligning with a ruler of an ancient state. This discovery suggests that the Wangzhuang site was not an ordinary settlement but the capital of a prehistoric Huangyi ancient state, providing fresh perspectives on a critical period in the study of the origins of Chinese civilization.
Liu Haiwang further explained that within the archaeological community, China’s ancient states are generally categorized into three phases: the first spanning from approximately 5,800 to 5,200 years ago; the second from around 5,200 to 4,300 years ago; and the final phase from roughly 4,300 to 3,800 years ago. The newly discovered tomb at Wangzhuang falls within the second phase of ancient states, roughly concurrent with the Shuanghua Tree site in Gongyi, known as the ancient state of Heluo.
Zhu Guanghua noted that the era represented by the Wangzhuang site essentially bridges the early Huaxia group of central China, the Eastern Yi group from the Haidai region, and the Miao-Mian group from southern areas. This suggests that the prehistoric social group at Wangzhuang may have been a relatively independent branch of the ancient Dongyi or Huaiyi people.
