Xuzhou Tomb Cluster

Xuzhou Tomb Cluster

The Xuzhou Tomb Cluster is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Xuzhou Tomb Cluster is located in Dai Zhuang Town, Pizhou City, Jiangsu Province, and includes the Baiji Han Tombs, Maocun Han Tombs, and Lali Mountain Han Tombs. These are tombs of marquises, officials, and wealthy families from the Pengcheng Kingdom of Xuzhou during the Eastern Han Dynasty. They hold significant value for studying the burial systems and customs of the nobility, officials, and affluent individuals in the Pengcheng Kingdom of the Han Dynasty, as well as for understanding ancient Chinese politics and economy.

Archaeologists from the Nanjing Museum uncovered a Western Zhou tomb cluster at a large excavation site in Xuzhou. Among the 32 Western Zhou tombs, dating back 3,000 years, the burial artifacts unearthed contain rich historical information. Notably, 160 "cowrie shells" and the remains of sacrificed animals such as cattle, horses, and dogs have sparked curiosity about the "wealthy class" of the Western Zhou period.

At the Luoma Lake Water Resources Control Center construction site on the Shantou Bridge of the Middle Canal in Dai Zhuang Town, Pizhou City, 52 Eastern Han Dynasty tombs were discovered. The tomb cluster covers an area of approximately 5,000 square meters, and 47 of the tombs have been excavated and cleared. According to archaeologists, a total of 52 Eastern Han tombs were found at the site, yielding over 250 burial artifacts including silver, copper, iron, stone, pottery, and porcelain items, among which six bronze mirrors and one iron sword were uncovered.

The tomb cluster features three types of chamber structures: brick-stone tombs, mixed brick-stone tombs, and earthen pit tombs. The tombs generally consist of a passageway, gate, main chamber, and side chambers. The passageways are 3–10 meters long and 1–3 meters wide. In front of the tomb gates lies a 1-meter-long flat section slightly elevated above the tomb base. There are three types of chamber layouts: front chamber with rear hall (one room, one hall), front hall with double chambers (two rooms, one hall), and single chamber. The front hall with double chambers is particularly unique, featuring a standing stone between the front hall and the double chambers, with a door or window carved on the stone. The two chambers are separated only by this standing stone, and all burial items are placed in the front hall. The tomb chambers are constructed with sunflower-patterned bricks forming the side frames, tomb base, and arched vaulted ceilings, while the tomb bases are paved with plain gray bricks arranged vertically in staggered rows. Many of the vaulted ceilings have collapsed due to excessive span and human damage. Some artifacts have been damaged or displaced due to the collapse of ceiling bricks and human interference. Owing to the high groundwater level at the site, wooden coffins have completely decayed, with only small amounts of human bone remaining in some tombs. Intact spittoon-shaped vessels, several bronze mirrors, numerous fragments of lacquerware, and pottery were found in the silt of the front chambers. The bronze mirrors, 5–10 cm in diameter, feature a bridge-shaped knob, with relatively intricate designs of coiled-wing patterns and phoenix motifs.

Outside the tomb cluster, a 16-meter-wide and 2-meter-deep ring moat composed of black silt was discovered, a feature rarely seen in Chinese archaeological excavations.

Three Han tombs were also discovered at the Oriental Vocational College near Yunlong Lake at the foot of Hushan Mountain in the western suburbs of Xuzhou. These are part of the first Eastern Han family tomb cluster found in Xuzhou. Previously looted, the excavation yielded mostly pottery items such as jars, miniature buildings, and mills, with few bronze, iron, or jade artifacts. The three ancient tombs, arranged in a protruding character formation, along with another two Han tombs found at the northeast corner of this site, belong to the same family, indicating that this is an Eastern Han family tomb cluster. Its discovery not only fills a gap in the record of Eastern Han tomb clusters in Xuzhou but also provides valuable cultural relics for studying burial customs and the order of seniority at the time.

In 2006, the Xuzhou Tomb Cluster, as a group of ancient Han Dynasty tombs, was listed as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council.

Dai Zhuang Town: A township under the jurisdiction of Pizhou City. In 1953, it belonged to the Fifth District; in 1956, it was part of the Chaha District; in 1957, Dai Zhuang Township was established; in 1958, it was restructured as a commune; and in 1983, it reverted to a township. Located in the northwest of the city, it is 30 kilometers from the urban center. Covering an area of 70.6 square kilometers with a population of 48,000, it is traversed by National Highway 310, borders the Middle Canal to the west, has the Laowuxi River running north-south through its center, and is adjacent to the Piciang Flood Diversion Channel to the east. It administers 18 villages: Yidong, Yixi, Shazhuang, Tenghu, Donghuangshi, Zhouying, Linzhuang, Yangqiao, Zaoshu, Dai Zhuang, Shanwo, Yingzi, Shantou, Liwei, Liangcheng, Huoshibu, Houpu, and Beiyangzhuang... More details about Dai Zhuang Town++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units