Gaochandun Site

Gaochandun Site

The Gaochandun Site is a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

The Jiangyin Gaochandun Site is another large, high-platform cemetery from the Liangzhu period, featuring a rigorous layout plan and strict construction methods. With an excavated area of 1,000 square meters, the 1999 excavation uncovered 13 large and medium-sized early to middle Liangzhu culture tombs, yielding 155 pieces (sets) of jade artifacts such as cong, bi, yue, cone-shaped objects, beads, and tubes, as well as stone and pottery items.

Within the 400-square-meter area of the excavated cemetery, the tombs are arranged in a V-shape facing northwest and northeast. Most tombs had coffin or outer coffin burial structures, and clear traces of coffin and outer coffin plank ash and wood grain were found during excavation, clarifying the structure of the coffins and outer coffins as well as their relationship with the tomb pits. The site is notable for its new findings and large-scale tombs. Tomb No. 13 is the largest tomb pit discovered so far from the Liangzhu culture with well-preserved burial structure. Its scale and grave goods suggest that the tomb owner may have held a high status. Such burials, which feature high-grade but limited quantities of jade artifacts, may represent another type within the Liangzhu culture. The Gaochandun Site is located in southern Jiangsu, a highly significant area within the Taihu Lake cultural circle. The discovery of this site indicates that southern Jiangsu played a non-negligible role in Liangzhu culture and may represent another center comparable to those in the Ningzhen area and the Fuquanshan area of Shanghai.

In 2019, the Gaochandun Site was included in the eighth batch of protected cultural heritage sites of Jiangsu Province.

Further reading:

· Eighth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Jiangsu Province