The Mazongshan Tomb Cluster

The Mazongshan Tomb Cluster

The Mazongshan Tomb Cluster is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Mazongshan Stone-Constructed Tomb Cluster is located in the Xirichulu Mountain area of the Mazongshan region in the Hanggai Gobi, approximately 15 kilometers north of Dagutu Township, Hulesitai Sumu, in Central Banner. The tombs are distributed around Xirichulu Mountain. On the surface, 107 identifiable stone mounds and slate tombs can be found, covering an area of 4 square kilometers. The tomb structures include square, hourglass-shaped, I-shaped, circular, and T-shaped forms, varying in size. This is a large-scale, densely distributed, and diverse stone-constructed tomb cluster that spans from the Bronze Age to the Han Dynasty.

It is reported that the Mazongshan Stone-Constructed Tomb Cluster was discovered during the 2008 “Third National Cultural Relics Survey.” In 2014, it was designated as part of the fifth batch of Key Cultural Relics Protection Units in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, initially announced under the name “Mazongshan Slate Tomb Cluster.” Since the cluster contains not only slate tombs but also stone mound tombs, reflecting various archaeological cultural elements, it was renamed the “Mazongshan Stone-Constructed Tomb Cluster.” Experts and scholars from institutions such as the Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the School of Cultural Heritage at Northwest University, and the National Museum have conducted on-site investigations. Preliminary assessments indicate that this is a tomb cluster with diverse ethnic backgrounds, showcasing strong characteristics of northern grassland nomadic cultures. It provides valuable material for studying the burial customs, political economy, cultural and religious practices, ethnic traditions, and social structures of minority groups in the Urad Grassland region from the Bronze Age to the Han Dynasty.

In 2019, the Mazongshan Tomb Cluster was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units