Dai Tomb Mound Site

Dai Tomb Mound Site

The Dai Tomb Mound Site is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province.

The Dai Tomb Mound Site is located in Dai Tomb Mound Natural Village, Jianli Village, Zhapu Town, Pinghu City. It is a settlement site dating back to the Liangzhu Culture period of the Neolithic Age, with the surface containing a small number of artifacts from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The site originally featured a high mound, approximately 2.5 meters above the current ground level. Although the mound has been largely leveled after earth extraction, clearly defined stratigraphy can still be observed in the exposed sections of the remaining small earthen mounds.

The site was discovered in 1958 when local farmers were extracting earth. Archaeological surveys indicated that it covers a total area of approximately 250,000 square meters. Between 1993 and 1994, during the construction of the East-West Avenue, multiple Liangzhu Culture tombs were found, unearthing a large number of artifacts from the Liangzhu Culture period. In September 2001, the Pinghu City Museum conducted emergency archaeological excavations in areas affected by the construction project of the Dagang Chemical Factory in the eastern part of the site. Five Liangzhu Culture tombs were cleared, along with the discovery of residential remains and a high earthen platform used for ritual purposes. Over 60 pieces of jade, stone, and pottery artifacts were unearthed, nine of which—including a double-spout pot, ring-foot basin, flat-bottomed jar, vessel lid, and perforated-spout pot—featured inscriptions on their surfaces. Among the finds were an inscribed wide-handled covered cup (catalog no. 01PDM1:6, 7), which was entirely decorated with “serpent-bird patterns,” and grid and straight line motifs filling the background spaces—features very rare for the Liangzhu Culture period. A Liangzhu Culture jade cong was also excavated. This jade cong, in a light bluish-green hue, was exquisitely crafted with precisely carved god-faced zoomorphic designs at the corners. It had been finely polished, appeared glossy and lustrous, and is the only known jade cong discovered within Pinghu District.

In January 2011, it was designated as part of the Sixth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Zhejiang Province.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units