The Dawuzhai Tomb Cluster

The Dawuzhai Tomb Cluster

The Dawuzhai Tomb Cluster is a cultural heritage protection unit of Linyi City.

The Dawuzhai Tomb Cluster is located in Dazhongcun Town, Cangshan County, dating back to the Han Dynasty, and is categorized as an ancient tomb site.

It is situated to the east and southeast of Dawuzhai Village, Dazhongcun Town, Lanling County, Linyi City, on the eastern bank of the Dongjia River. In December 2006, it was announced as a municipal-level key cultural heritage protection unit of Linyi. The tomb cluster is also referred to as the "Dragon King Tomb," "Ox King Tomb," or "Wu King Tomb," though these names remain unverified. It spans approximately 200 meters from east to west and about 180 meters from north to south, covering an area of around 36,000 square meters. From November 3, 2013, to January 2014, the County Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Press and Publication, in collaboration with the archaeological team of the Linyi Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau, conducted rescue excavations at the Dawuzhai ancient tomb cluster. Ten tombs were cleared during this operation. All the tombs have west-facing passageways and are arranged from east to west, showing variations in age. The tomb structures are vertical pit stone-chamber tombs, mostly multi-chambered, consisting of passageways, gateways, front chambers, rear chambers, corridors, side chambers, and niches. Some even feature three rear chambers. The larger tombs cover an area of about 100 square meters, while the smaller ones are nearly 30 square meters. The tomb stones bear no paintings or patterns, but they have been finely polished, demonstrating exquisite craftsmanship. Only a few tomb gateways are adorned with carvings. Historically, this burial ground has suffered damage, with tomb robbers entering through the tops of the tombs. As a result, many tombs contain significant amounts of accumulated soil and rubble from theft. Nevertheless, the excavation still yielded a substantial number of artifacts, including bronze mirrors, coins, agate ornaments, silver accessories, gilded decorations, pottery cups, pottery lamps, pottery plates, and pottery architectural models, among others. Underneath the two pillars in the front chamber of Tomb No. 3, there are exquisitely carved stone tiger column bases, full of dynamic detail and strikingly lifelike. The discovery of this tomb cluster marks the first of its kind unearthed in Shandong Province in recent years and holds significant value for historical and archaeological research. Based on the structure of the tombs and the characteristics of the burial objects, these tombs are believed to date from the late Eastern Han Dynasty. The layout suggests that this was a family burial ground from the late Eastern Han period. Considering the scale and the structure of the tomb chambers, the individuals buried here were likely local nobility with certain administrative statuses. The discovery of these Han Dynasty tombs provides important archaeological and academic insights into burial customs and historical culture during the Han period.

The Dawuzhai Tomb Cluster is among the second batch of municipal-level cultural heritage protection units.

Dazhongcun Town: Located 15 kilometers north of Lanling County, Dazhongcun Town borders Yitang Town of Luozhuang District and Machanghu Town of the High-Tech Zone to the east, connects to Cangshan Subdistrict to the south, neighbors Chehuang Town and Xinzhuang Town of Feixian County to the west, and adjoins Kuangkeng Town to the north. Provincial Highway 229 runs north–south through the town, while Yiliu Road extends east–west. The Linshao Railway passes through the area and includes a station at Dazhongcun. The town is also close to the Linshao Expressway to the south, giving it a strategically advantageous location. Dazhongcun Town governs 48 administrative villages (encompassing 81 natural villages) with a population of 93,000 and cultivated land area of 97,000 mu, covering a total region of 146.6 square kilometers. The town has 11 Party general branches and 75 primary Party branches (including rural Party branches... More details about Dazhongcun Town++)