Newly Discovered 4,500-Years-Old Tombs May Shine Light on Life in Prehistoric China – Scientist
Researcher Yan Fei cleaning the swan-shaped Chinese ritual bronze unearthed in a tomb in Sanmenxia, Henan, China
The Chinese Suyang relics site spans more than 600,000 square meters. Recent archeology studies revealed an incredibly ancient tomb complex.In the People’s Republic of China in Henan province, archaeologists have discovered more than 300 tombs that are estimated to be 4,500 years old, Chinese media reported. The excavation started in 2021 and remains ongoing.The tombs were located in the Suyang relics site, Luoyang city.
"The tomb cluster is large in size [15,000 m2] and can be traced back to the transition period from Yangshao Culture to Longshan Culture. It is extremely rare to see this in Zhongyuan, a region known as the central plain area," Ren Guang, head of the excavation project on the Suyang site, told Chinese media.
The tombs are similar in style, with all being rectangular in shape.In nine tombs that were excavated, the archeologist team found 10 skeletons. Additionally, some graves have marks of tomb raiders.Preliminary excavations have shown that the tomb complex can be attributed to the early stage of the Longshan culture, giving scientists the ability to gain more knowledge about the burial system and societal structures.The Longshan culture dates back to the late Neolithic era, and spans from the middle and lower Yellow River valley areas of northern China. The culture is named after the nearby modern town of Longshan (“Dragon Mountain”).
