Baiqier Cemetery

Baiqier Cemetery

Baiqier Cemetery is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Baiqier Cemetery

At the recently concluded archaeological excavation at Baiqier Cemetery in Xinjiang, experts unearthed a bronze ornament in the shape of a "Siberian ibex." This is the first time such a prehistoric bronze artifact has been discovered in an archaeological dig in Xinjiang. With its plump body and sturdy limbs, the intricately crafted "Siberian ibex" is riveted onto a tubular ornament, rendered with striking lifelikeness. The "Siberian ibex" bronze ornament stands about 10 centimeters tall, with two long horns on its head that are nearly as tall as its body. Its mouth, nose, ears, and eyes are distinctly shaped, and it also features a tuft of long whiskers on its chin. Tuhuti Tula, associate researcher at the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Institute of Archaeology who discovered it, called it "a rare piece of art."

The Siberian ibex, also known as the Asiatic ibex, resembles a domestic goat but is larger in size. It is a Class I protected animal in China and is mainly found in regions such as Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia. Tuhuti Tula said that this type of "Siberian ibex" bronze ornament represents the culture of the northern grasslands and has been discovered in archaeological digs in Inner Mongolia within China and in some Central Asian countries, but this is the first time it has been unearthed in Xinjiang.

The "Siberian ibex" was excavated from Baiqier Cemetery in Yiwu County, Xinjiang. The burial site is spread across a Gobi plateau measuring approximately 1,000 meters in length from north to south and over 500 meters in width. According to archaeological surveys, there are more than 500 tombs in the cemetery. Due to construction needs, salvage excavations have been carried out on 92 of them. Along with the "Siberian ibex" bronze ornament, pottery, bronze ware, ironware, goldware, and other funerary objects were also unearthed, among which pottery items are the most abundant.

Tuhuti Tula analyzed that the Baiqier Cemetery likely dates back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Judging from the "Siberian ibex" bronze ornament and the large quantity of cattle, horse, and sheep bones unearthed, it can be inferred that the prevailing economic form in the area was primarily pastoralism.

Extended Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units