Kengtou Cemetery

Kengtou Cemetery

Kengtou Cemetery is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Kengtou Cemetery (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Western Zhou Dynasty

Location: Kengtou Village, Guwei Town, Ruicheng County, Yuncheng City

The cemetery area is mainly located within residential zones, open land, and orchards to the south of Kengtou Village. The orchard portion spans around 28,800 square meters, and the open land and residential portions cover approximately 6,000 square meters. In 2007, the Ruicheng County Bureau of Cultural Relics conducted an emergency excavation of an ancient tomb in the open area south of the village. Artifacts unearthed included bronze ding (tripod cauldrons), gui (food vessels), [unspecified ritual vessel], and bianzhong (chime bells). Based on the characteristics of the artifacts and the structure of the tomb, it is believed to be the burial site of a Western Zhou noble.

The tombs at Kengtou Cemetery are vertical earthen pits with small openings and larger bases, arranged in orderly rows running north-south and columns running east-west. The site has been looted and is in urgent need of enhanced protection.

This cemetery covers a relatively large area, nearly 35,000 square meters, with most tombs located within orchards and a smaller number beneath residential buildings. A Western Zhou noble tomb excavated in 2007 yielded bronze ding, gui, [unspecified ritual vessel], and bianzhong, providing significant physical evidence for the study of the feudal system during the Western Zhou period and holding outstanding historical value.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics

Kengtou Village: Located at the northwest corner of Guwei Town, Kengtou Village is 2.5 kilometers from the county seat. It borders Chengnan to the east, Shaojia and Chenjia in Xuezhang Township to the west, Diqian and Gudeng Village in Xuezhang Township to the north, and Dangjiayao, Hucungou, and Tiewang Village in Xuezhang Township to the south. The village stretches about 3.5 kilometers from east to west and roughly 2.3 kilometers from north to south. It is an administrative village composed of four natural villages: Kengtou, Shangguo, Macun, and Macungou. The total area of the village jurisdiction is approximately 8 square kilometers, with arable land spanning 6,548 mu (about 4,365 acres), including 4,548 mu of irrigated land and 2,000 mu of dry land. The per capita arable land is about 2.5 mu. The village has a total of 28 wells (including shareholding… More detailed information about Kengtou Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Shanxi Province