Hengling Mountain Cemetery

Hengling Mountain Cemetery

Hengling Mountain Cemetery is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Guangdong.

The pre-Qin cemetery at Hengling Mountain in Boluo, Guangdong was excavated under the direction of the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in February 2000. A large number of fragments of printed hard pottery featuring geometric patterns and kui-dragon motifs were unearthed, along with many exquisitely crafted pottery pieces, proto-porcelain ware, bronze ware, jade artifacts, and ironware. These finds not only confirmed that a civilization of relatively high development during the Bronze Age truly existed in Lingnan history, but also provided evidence for the possible existence of the ancient state of Fulu. This pushes the archaeologically verified history of Lingnan civilization back to 3,000 years ago, marking major historical significance.

More than 300 ancient tombs were excavated within an area of 8,000 square meters at Hengling Mountain in Boluo, with a small number dating to the Shang Dynasty and the majority to the Spring and Autumn–Warring States periods. Among them, bronze yong zhong bells were unearthed for the first time in tombs from the Spring and Autumn–Warring States period in Guangdong. This is the largest group of Bronze Age tombs discovered and excavated in Guangdong to date, featuring the highest quantity of artifacts, the most exquisite items, and the richest variety.

According to the "Lüshi Chunqiu" (Spring and Autumn Annals of Lü Buwei), the ancient state of Fulu once existed in the Baiyue region. The "Historical Atlas of China," edited by Professor Tan Qixiang and depicting the Warring States period, also clearly marked the presence of the state of Fulu within the boundaries of Boluo County. However, no physical evidence had ever been found to confirm its actual existence. The discovery of bronze yong zhong bells and ding tripods among the tomb group, together with the “life of music and bronze ritual vessels” indicating noble status reflected in other artifacts, suggests that an ancient state may have once existed here. Another strong piece of evidence is the highly orderly arrangement of the tomb group according to hierarchical status—noble tombs were primarily located on the mountainside and ridgeline, where large bronze artifacts were mainly unearthed, while commoner tombs were concentrated mostly at the foot of the mountain. This to some extent reflects that these early inhabitants lived within a fairly complete social organization with a strictly hierarchical social system. These findings, together with a series of archaeological discoveries made in the Boluo and Zengcheng areas since the early 1990s, provide crucial data for locating and reconstructing the pre-Qin state of Fulu.

On December 10, 2015, Hengling Mountain Cemetery was designated as part of the eighth batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units.

Further reading:

· Eighth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units