The Dashi Mountain Dolmen Tomb Cluster Site

The Dashi Mountain Dolmen Tomb Cluster Site

The Dashi Mountain Dolmen Tomb Cluster Site is a cultural heritage preservation unit of Rui'an City.

The Dashi Mountain Dolmen Tomb Cluster Site is located on Dashi Mountain at the boundary between Xincheng Town and Tingtian Town in Rui'an City, consisting of a total of 34 tombs. Most are distributed on both sides of the mountain ridges and on the flat areas of the mountain. The site spans approximately 400 meters from east to west and about 80 meters from north to south. Two additional tombs are located on Fenghuang Mountain. One tomb yielded an early primitive celadon vessel with a folded body, estimated to date back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. In 1993, official excavations conducted by the provincial archaeological institute unearthed nearly 100 artifacts including stone tools, pottery, primitive ceramics, and bronze ware.

Currently, 28 tombs have been designated as protected sites, marked with protective signage, and three of the better-preserved tombs have been enclosed with stone railings for conservation.

Dolmen tombs are a type of burial structure from the late Neolithic period and early Iron Age. Their structural features include being hollow with stone pillars on the sides and covered by a single large flat stone slab. Similar structures have been found in coastal regions of many countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, as well as in the Liaodong Peninsula region of China.

Source: Wenzhou Museum