The Zaganluku Ancient Tombs

The Zaganluku Ancient Tombs

The Zaganluku Ancient Tombs are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Zaganluku Ancient Tombs are located on a plateau at the edge of an oasis, 2 kilometers west of Zaganluku Village, Tuogelake Township, Qiemo County, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The tomb complex can be divided into three phases: the first phase belongs to the pre-Qiemo Kingdom period, the second to the Qiemo Kingdom period, and the third to the Eastern Han to Wei-Jin periods.

To date, five burial areas with nearly a thousand tombs have been found. Tomb Area No. 1 has a relatively concentrated distribution of graves, measuring 750 meters from east to west and 1,100 meters from north to south, covering an area of 825,000 square meters. The types of tombs include rectangular vertical pit earth graves, rectangular vertical pit earth graves with overhead supports, and cave tombs. Burials from the first and second phases were mainly multiple burials, while those from the third phase were mostly single or double burials. Among the unearthed artifacts are two wooden vertical harps, which are the earliest and best-preserved examples of their kind discovered in China, as well as distinctive pottery, bone and wood implements, exquisite woolen textiles, and embroidered fabrics featuring bird patterns.

The Zaganluku Ancient Tombs represent a significant regional culture in the southern edge of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang. They reflect the general picture of social development in this region from before the Han dynasty’s opening of the Silk Road to the Western Regions up to the Wei-Jin periods. The remains and excavated relics display the distinct regional cultural characteristics of the ancient Qiemo Kingdom, as well as exchanges with Silk Road culture and northern steppe cultures, providing valuable physical materials for interdisciplinary research. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units