The Mashi Han Tombs Cluster

The Mashi Han Tombs Cluster

The Mashi Han Tombs Cluster is a cultural heritage site protected by Shanxi Province.

Introduction:

The Mashi Han Tombs Cluster is spread across an area within 20 kilometers of Shuocheng District in Shuozhou City. The present location of Shuocheng District was once part of the Qin and Han-era Mashi City. Situated beyond the Yanmen Pass, it was a strategic passage connecting the Central Plains to the northern steppes. To the south, routes through Yangfangkou and Yanmen Pass led to the Central Plains, while to the north, passes such as Lahuokou and Liujiaokou connected to Pingcheng (today’s Datong). To the southwest, routes via Dashuikou and Beichakou led directly to the Yellow River. Historically, invasions and looting by northern tribes, as well as counterattacks and campaigns by Han forces, often targeted this region as a key point of offense and defense. Particularly during the Han Dynasty, it served as a crucial military stronghold beyond the frontier. Many soldiers who defended the borders were buried here after their deaths, resulting in a dense cluster of Han Dynasty tombs in the area.

The tomb cluster consists of numerous relatively concentrated burial sites, with the highest density found within a 5-kilometer radius of the ancient Mashi City. Other tomb groups are located near strategically important mountain passes. Since the 1970s, due to agricultural development projects such as land leveling, most of the original burial mounds have been leveled. Today, nearly 150 large burial mounds remain, distributed along several lines: from Sanqingliang to Zhaoshiba Village, from Zhujiazhuang Village to Niujia Store Village, from Nanguan to Shuiquanliang, and from Nanxingjiahe Village to Bai Village. Since 1982, archaeological surveys conducted in the absence of surface indications led to the excavation of over 2,200 tombs dating from the Warring States Period to the Eastern Han Dynasty in the area 4 kilometers northeast of the ancient Mashi City, where the Pingshuo residential area was later developed. These excavations unearthed more than 1,700 cultural relics. The remaining burial mounds come in two main shapes: conical and flat-topped (similar to an inverted ladle). These mounds exhibit clear evidence of rammed earth construction, with layers between 5–20 centimeters thick, heights ranging from 2–20 meters, and base perimeters of approximately 20–200 meters. The Mashi Han Tombs Cluster is a provincially designated key cultural heritage protection site.

Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units