Li Tomb Han Dynasty Tombs Cluster

Li Tomb Han Dynasty Tombs Cluster

The Li Tomb Han Dynasty Tombs Cluster is a protected cultural heritage site of Henan Province.

Four ancient tombs currently remain about one kilometer south of Zhengyang County’s urban area, north of Li Tomb in Pizhuang Village. The tombs are aligned in a row along the Second Ring Road from east to west as M1, M2, M3, and M4. M1 is the largest, standing over 10 meters high, measuring 35 meters from east to west and 46 meters from north to south. The tomb mound is overgrown with weeds, thorns, and several trees, and there is a rugged path leading up to the top. To the south of the tomb is the Second Ring Road, across which lies Li Tomb Village. The east and north sides are farmland, while the west is adjacent to M2, with a small north-south path between the two tombs. M2, M3, and M4 now form several small earthen mounds, no more than 2 meters high and about 20 meters in diameter, with poplar trees planted on them by villagers.

Known in ancient records as the “Tomb of General Shenzi” and also referred to as the “Seven Star Platform of South Dragon Mound,” the Li Tomb Han Dynasty Tombs Cluster originally consisted of seven tombs distributed in Yaozhuang and Li Tomb areas south of the county town. One tomb in Yaozhuang was leveled in 1958. Six tombs near Li Tomb were excavated by the city's cultural relics team during the construction of the Second Ring Road in 2003, leaving four remaining today.

The Li Tomb Han Dynasty Tombs Cluster is one of the more intact surface-preserved tomb clusters in our province, and its value is immeasurable. Based on the unearthed relics such as bronze ware and pottery from Tomb No. 5 and Tomb No. 6, they fully demonstrate the cultural life and social development level of the people during the Han Dynasty, providing significant reference value for the study of Han Dynasty production, daily life, and societal progress.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Henan Province