Guozishan Tomb Cluster

Guozishan Tomb Cluster

The Guozishan Tomb Cluster is a cultural relics protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The Guozishan Tomb Cluster is located southwest of Hongguangtang Natural Village, Pengze Village Committee, Daqiao Subdistrict Office, Zhangshu City, Jiangxi Province. It sits on an earthen mound at the northern foothills of Dagushan Mountain, along the western edge of the hilly terrain on the eastern bank of the Gan River. Approximately 200 meters directly east lies the Zhuguo City Site, a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. The Guozishan Tomb Cluster is within the protected area of the Zhuguo City Site.

The Guozishan Tomb Cluster was discovered due to tomb raiding. On September 12, 2013, the Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Zhangshu City Museum promptly organized personnel to conduct a preliminary survey of Tomb M1 at Guozishan. It was preliminarily determined to be a large ancient tomb dating back to the Spring and Autumn to Warring States periods.

To further understand the Guozishan Tomb Cluster within the Zhuguo City Site, the Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, with approval from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, carried out systematic archaeological work in the surrounding areas of Guozishan from 2014 to 2018. This effort led to the discovery of four large tombs (designated M1–M4) and their associated structures, among which M1 and M3 were excavated archaeologically.

Archaeological surveys revealed that the tombs in the Guozishan Tomb Cluster are all vertical pit tombs with a central passage and short sloping ramps at both ends, featuring square or circular enclosures (ritual ditches). These enclosures are connected by pathways and include individual tomb gardens, some of which also contain outer burial pits. The currently excavated Tomb M1 covers an area of 230 square meters, while the other tombs are around 200 square meters each. In terms of scale, level, and number, the Guozishan Tomb Cluster is unparalleled among pre-Qin period tombs discovered in Jiangxi so far, and it is also one of the most distinctive and rare finds in southern China from the same era. The coexistence of multiple high-level tombs around the Zhuguo City Site strongly suggests an intrinsic connection between the tomb cluster and the city site. This marks another major discovery in China’s pre-Qin archaeology. The Guozishan Tomb Cluster not only provides critical insights into the age and nature of the Zhuguo City Site but also offers abundant material for studying the evolution of civilization in Jiangxi during the pre-Qin period—especially in the Qingjiang Basin. It also provides valuable physical evidence for historical research on the cultures of Wu, Yue, and Chu in the Jiangxi region during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, making it of exceptional significance.

Address: Pengze Village Committee, Daqiao Subdistrict Office, Zhangshu City, Jiangxi Province

Pengze Village: Pengze Village…… More details about Pengze Village++