Henan discovers an ancient tomb from about 5000 years ago 

河南发现距今约5000年大墓

Experts speculate that the tomb owner may be the ancient monarch

专家推测墓主或为古国君主

Richly ornamented ivory objects unearthed from M27 Tomb.

The excavation spot of M27 Tomb in the Wangzhuang Site.

Jade Rat

Turquoise Pendant

Jade tomahawk

The pictures here are provided by the archaeological team of the Wangzhuang Site.

● M27 Tomb is about 4.8 meters long and 3.6 meters wide. The burial objects include more than 100 pieces of pottery and nearly 200 pieces of small jade ornaments.

●M27大墓长约4.8米，宽约3.6米，随葬品包括各类陶器100余件、小型玉饰近200件。

● M27 Tomb is one of the tombs with the largest scale and the greatest number of artifacts unearthed during the Dawenkou Culture period.

●M27大墓是目前发现大汶口文化时期规模最大、出土器物最多的墓葬之一。

The news reports that (Reporter Li Fenghu, Correspondent Chen Mengmeng), "The newly discovered M27 at the Wangzhuang Site in Yongcheng this year is an extra-large Dawenkou cultural tomb. It is about 5000 years ago and has a total area of more than 17 square meters. Judging from the specifications of the tomb, the position of the tomb owner is prominent, and it is speculated that it is an ancient monarch." Zhu Guanghua, associate professor of Capital Normal University, introduced at the expert consultation meeting on archaeological excavation results of the Wangzhuang Site in Yongcheng on October 14. He added that more than 350 relics were unearthed from the tomb, which is one of the tombs with the largest scale and the largest number of artifacts unearthed during the Dawenkou cultural period, providing brand-new samples for the study of the critical period of the origin of Chinese civilization.

“永城王庄遗址今年新发现的M27是一座特大型大汶口文化墓葬，距今5000年左右，总面积逾17平方米，从墓葬规格来看，墓主地位显赫，推测为古国君主之类。”10月14日，首都师范大学副教授朱光华在永城王庄遗址考古发掘成果专家咨询会上介绍，该墓葬出土遗物350余件，是目前发现大汶口文化时期规模最大、出土器物最多的墓葬之一，为研究中华文明起源的关键时期提供全新样本。

According to Zhu Guanghua, this discovery shows that the Wangzhuang Site is by no means an ordinary settlement, but an important center of the Huaiyi united city-states in the prehistoric period. It also reflects that the civilization process of the lower reaches of the Huanghuai River in the prehistoric period was at the forefront more than 5,000 years ago.

朱光华说，这一发现说明，王庄遗址绝非普通聚落，而为史前时期淮夷方国的重要中心，同时反映出史前时期黄淮下游在距今五千多年时其文明化进程已走在前列。

According to the presentations, the M27 tomb is about 4.8 meters long and 3.6 meters wide. The tomb has inner and outer coffins. The burial objects are very rich, including more than 100 pieces of various pottery, nearly 200 pieces of small jade ornaments, stone tools, bone tools, and animal bones such as pig mandibles. The pottery is mainly placed on the south side of the tomb, with some set around the wooden coffin, and some pottery is large in shape. Jade stones and jade tomahawks unearthed from this high-class tomb have a strong color of etiquette, which has a profound impact on the etiquette culture of Xia, Shang, Zhou and later dynasties. In particular, the discovery of this tomb shows the preliminary form of kingship in the prehistoric Central Plains.

据介绍，M27大墓长约4.8米，宽约3.6米，墓室有棺有椁，随葬品十分丰富，包括各类陶器100余件、小型玉饰近200件，石器、骨器，以及猪下颌骨等动物骨骼。陶器主要置于墓室南侧，少量陈于木棺四周，部分陶器形体硕大。高等级墓葬出土的石圭、玉钺等具有浓厚的礼制色彩，对夏商周及其后的礼制文化影响深远，尤其是此次墓葬的发现，彰显出史前中原地区王权的初步形态。

Zhu Guanghua said that during the cleaning process of the tomb, a rare prehistoric phenomenon of "tomb destruction" was found. Most of the main bones of the tomb were missing within the scope of the wooden coffin. Only a few phalanges of people were left. Small jade ornaments were scattered inside and outside the wooden coffin. Most jade stones were artificially broken and some artifacts were destroyed and displaced. Five pieces of bone sheaths were found in the tomb. However, the corresponding jade tomahawks disappeared. There are various signs that the tomb experienced a man-made destruction shortly after the burial. The tomb was disturbed, with the bones of the tomb owner taken out, and the heavy weapons taken away.

朱光华说，该墓在清理过程中发现较为罕见的史前“毁墓”现象，木棺范围内墓主骨骼绝大部分缺失，仅存数块人的趾骨，小型玉饰散落于木棺内外，多数石圭被人为折断，部分器物破碎移位，该墓发现5件骨鐏，然而与之对应的玉钺皆消失不见。种种迹象表明该墓在埋葬不久后，经历了一场人为的毁墓活动，墓室被扰动，墓主尸骨被取出，重器被掳走。

The Wangzhuang Site is located in Caolou Village, Miaoqiao Town, about 10 kilometers east of Yongcheng City, with a site area of 630,000 square meters. Approved by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, a joint archaeological team was formed by the Department of Archaeology of Capital Normal University, Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the Shangqiu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and carried out the continuous archaeological excavations on the Wangzhuang Site.

王庄遗址位于永城市以东约10公里的苗桥镇曹楼村，遗址面积63万平方米。经国家文物局批准，2023年和2024年，首都师范大学考古系、河南省文物考古研究院、中国社会科学院考古研究所、商丘市文物考古研究院组成联合考古队，连续对王庄遗址展开正式考古发掘。

The Wangzhuang Site has an approved excavation area of 800 square meters in 2024. At present, 500 square meters have been excavated. 45 Dawenkou tombs have been newly discovered and 27 have been cleared. Some of the tombs are of high grade, with wooden coffins and burial tools. More than 400 pieces of jade, 500 pieces of pottery, 100 pieces of bone objects and 50 pieces of stone objects have been unearthed.

王庄遗址2024年度批准发掘面积800平方米，目前已发掘500平方米，新发现大汶口墓葬45座，已清理27座。其中部分墓葬等级较高，具有木棺葬具，出土玉器400余件，陶器500余件，骨器100余件，石器50余件。

Zhou Tong, the 2024 project executive team leader of the Wangzhuang Site, said that from the shapes and structures of these current unearthed artifacts, the cultural appearance of the Wangzhuang Site is complex, and its main remains belong to the Dawenkou culture, and also bear the elements of Central Plains Yangshao Culture, the Southern Qujialing Culture and Liangzhu Culture.

王庄遗址2024年项目执行领队周通说，从目前出土的器物形制来看，王庄遗址文化面貌复杂，其主体遗存隶属大汶口文化，又带有中原仰韶文化、南方屈家岭文化和良渚文化等因素。

"The Wangzhuang Site is a melting pot of multicultural exchanges. It is not only influenced by the cultures of Haidai area in the East and the Central Plains, but also by prehistoric cultural factors from the Yangtze River Basin. At the same time, it has formed its own characteristics. These discoveries demonstrate the initial exchange of Chinese civilization and provide an important specimen for the study of cultural integration in different prehistoric regions." said Li Xinwei, deputy director of the Institute of Ancient History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The excavation of the Wangzhuang Site is of great significance in revealing the Neolithic settlement patterns in eastern Henan and prehistoric social etiquette, and exploring the archaeological and cultural exchanges between the Central Plains and Haidai area.

“王庄遗址是多元文化交流的熔炉，既受东方海岱地区与中原地区文化影响，还有来自长江流域的史前文化因素，同时形成自己的特色，其发现实证中华文明的初始交流，为研究史前不同区域文化融合提供了重要标本。”中国社科院古代史研究所副所长李新伟说，王庄遗址的发掘对揭示豫东地区新石器时代聚落形态、史前社会礼制、探讨中原与海岱地区考古学文化的交流都有重要的意义。

At present, the excavation of this site is still in progress.

目前，该遗址发掘工作仍在进行中。（中文来源/河南日报 记者/李凤虎 译者/洪建园 英文审校/焦丹）

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