Zhanggudui

Zhanggudui

Zhanggudui is a cultural heritage protection unit of Shandong Province.

Zhanggudui is an ancient cultural relic site dating from the Longshan Culture period to the Zhou Dynasty. It is located within the Horticultural Farm of the Development Zone, 3.5 kilometers southeast of Shanxian County. In 2006, it was designated as part of the third batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units by the People's Government of Shandong Province.

In 1961, it was discovered by the Cultural Relics Group of the Shanxian County Cultural Center. The site measures 115 meters from north to south and 118 meters from east to west, covering a total area of 13,570 square meters, with a height of about 5 meters. From July to November 2003, in coordination with the eastward expansion of Shunshi Avenue in Shanxian County, the Heze Municipal Cultural Relics Management Office and the Shanxian County Museum jointly formed an archaeological excavation team. They conducted rescue excavations on an ancient tomb cluster located within the 35-meter area of Shunshi Avenue that overlapped the southern part of the Zhanggudui site. A total of 60 tombs were rescued and cleared. Except for two brick-chambered tombs in the northwest corner, which date back to the Xinmang period, the rest are from the Western Han Dynasty. Over 500 funerary objects were unearthed (the data has not been fully organized, and all figures are approximate), including more than 360 pottery items, over 70 bronze items, more than 50 iron items, over 20 jade items, and more than 1,000 Wuzhu coins. The orientation of these tombs varied, facing east, south, west, and north. Most of the tombs were earthen pits, with few being brick-chambered. Funerary objects were mostly placed in foot boxes rather than head boxes. The common combinations of artifacts included ding (tripod cauldrons), dou (food vessels), and hu (wine vessels), or ding, he (covered boxes), and hu. Among the unearthed relics, a gray pottery basin with the characters “Shanfu” (单父) inscribed on the rim of the mouth was found. It is inferred that “Shanfu” refers to a place name. This aligns completely with historical records stating that the Qin Dynasty established the county of Shanfu, thus serving as historical evidence.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units