China's oldest wooden coffins uncovered at Jiahu Ruins

China's oldest wooden coffins uncovered at Jiahu Ruins in Henan

河南贾湖遗址发现中国最早木棺

The Jiahu Ruins is a well-preserved and culturally rich site from the early Neolithic period, dating back approximately 9,000 to 7,500 years. Since its discovery in 1983, the site has been excavated 10 times, uncovering over 6,000 artifacts.

贾湖遗址是一处规模较大、保存完整、文化积淀丰厚的新石器时代前期重要的代表性遗址，距今约9000至7500年。自1983年至今，贾湖遗址历经10次发掘，出土文物6000余件。

What world records does Jiahu hold?

贾湖隐藏着多少世界之最？

The world's earliest playable seven-tone scale wind instrument

世界上最早的可吹奏七声音阶管乐器

One of the world's earliest sites for domestication of animals 

世界上最早的家畜驯养地之一

One of the world's earliest sites of rice farming

世界上最早的稻作农业起源地之一

One of the world's earliest sites of alcohol brewing

世界上最早的酿酒起源地之一

One of the world's earliest sites of hand spinning and weaving

世界上最早的手工纺织起源地之一

The world's oldest tripod-shaped vessel

世界上最早的鼎形器

The world's earliest site of fish farming

世界上最早的鱼类人工养殖起源地

The world's earliest site of turtle worship and divination practices

世界上最早的龟灵崇拜与卜筮起源地

One of the world's earliest forms of written language

世界上最早的文字雏形之一

The world's earliest turquoise ornaments

世界上最早的绿松石装饰物

The world's earliest site of soybean cultivation

世界上最早的人工栽培大豆起源地

WUYANG, Sep. 9 (Henan Daily) -- The Jiahu Ruins in Wuyang, Henan Province, a key site of the Peiligang Culture, has long been famous for the discovery of China's earliest and most well-preserved bone flute. Now, archaeologists have made another significant breakthrough with the discovery of China's oldest wooden coffins at the site.

作为裴李岗文化的重要代表，位于河南舞阳的贾湖遗址，曾因出土我国迄今年代最早、保存最完整的骨笛而闻名。如今，这里又发现中国最早木棺，考古发掘再现重大突破。

An academic seminar on the Peiligang Period and the origins of Chinese civilization was held in Zhengzhou from September 5 to 6. According to reporters  from the seminar, recent archaeological excavations at the Jiahu Ruins have uncovered multiple tombs containing wooden coffins. This discovery suggests that the burial system, involving inner and outer coffins along with the deceased's personal belongings, which reflected the social hierarchy, dates back over 8,000 years.

9月5日至6日，裴李岗时代与中华文明起源学术研讨会在郑州召开。记者从会上获悉，在贾湖遗址考古发掘中，新发现多座墓葬内存在木棺。这也表明，作为中国古代礼制重要组成部分的棺椁制度在8000多年前已出现。

"These are the earliest wooden coffins ever discovered in China, pushing back the timeline for the use of wooden coffins by around 2,000 years," said Wei Xingtao, Deputy Director of Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology.

“这是目前我国发现的年代最早的木棺，将木质葬具的出现时间提前了约2000年。”河南省文物考古研究院副院长魏兴涛说。

It was previously believed that wooden coffins first appeared around 6,000 years ago during the early Dawenkou Cultural period (ca. 6200-5600 BP). However, the recent discovery of wooden coffins at the Jiahu Ruins offers new insights into the earliest form of prehistoric wooden coffins.

据悉，此前学界普遍认为，木棺最早出现在距今约6000年的大汶口文化早期。如今贾湖遗址木棺的发现，为探索史前木棺的源头提供了新材料。

"Liangzhu is the evidence of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, while Jiahu provides proof of 8,000 years." The Jiahu Ruins, a key site of the Peiligang Culture in the early and middle Neolithic period of China, are considered "the first threshold in  humanity's transition from ignorance to civilization". Since its initial excavation in 1983, the site has unearthed a wealth of relics, including pottery, stone tools, bone tools, and horn tools, many of which are considered "world's earliest". These discoveries have provided valuable evidence for the study of the origins of Chinese civilization.

“五千年文明看良渚，八千年起源看贾湖。”贾湖遗址是中国新石器时代前中期裴李岗文化的代表性遗存，被誉为“人类从蒙昧迈向文明的第一道门槛”。从1983年首次发掘以来，该遗址出土大量陶器、石器、骨器、角器等各类遗物，多项发现堪称“世界之最”，为中华文明探源研究提供诸多物证。

Since 2023, the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology has continued its archaeological work at the site. The latest findings confirm that this is a moated settlement, covering an area of 65,000 square meters.

2023年以来，省文物考古研究院持续围绕该遗址开展相关考古发掘工作，最新确认这是一处面积达6.5万平方米的环壕聚落。

Li Jindou, the head of the Jiahu Ruins excavation site, reported that over 200 tombs have been discovered in the central burial area. Among them, 10 show signs of containing wooden coffins, with some measuring approximately 2 meters in length, 0.6 meters in width, and 0.06 meters in thickness. Soil analysis from these tombs revealed significantly higher lignin content compared to the surrounding areas.

贾湖遗址发掘现场负责人李金斗介绍，在中心墓地，合计发现墓葬200余座，其中10座存在木棺迹象，部分木棺长2米左右、宽0.6米左右、厚0.06米左右，对其所在处的土壤进行检测分析显示，木质素含量显著高于周边区域。

It is noteworthy that most of the tombs in the central burial area of the Jiahu Ruins contain burial offerings, including bone flutes, turquoise, pottery, and other artifacts, some of which are finely crafted. In addition to the wooden coffins, archaeologists have recently uncovered more than 20 bone flutes, with one tomb revealing the unprecedented discovery of "five flutes in a single tomb".

值得一提的是，贾湖遗址中心墓地绝大多数墓葬中有陪葬品，包括骨笛、绿松石、陶器等，部分加工尤为精致。除木棺外，考古人员还新发现20余支骨笛，并在其中一座墓葬首次发现“一墓五笛”现象。

"The variations in burial locations, tomb sizes, coffins, and the types and quantity of grave goods, suggest that social differentiation had already emerged at the  Jiahu Ruins site," said Wei Xingtao. "The combinations of ritual vessels, like tripods, jars, and pots, along with various sacrificial pits, also suggest the early development of funeral customs."

“埋葬位置、墓葬面积、葬具、随葬品种类及丰富程度多寡不一的现象，表明贾湖遗址内部已出现社会分化。”魏兴涛说，“鼎罐壶等明器组合以及不同形式的祭祀坑，也意味着已经开始形成早期丧葬礼俗。”

The archaeological excavation at the core area of the Jiahu Ruins is still ongoing. Further laboratory analysis and excavation will be needed to recover grave goods and identify the tomb owners.

目前贾湖遗址核心区域的考古发掘仍在进行中，关于重要墓葬文物提取、墓主人身份确认等，都将通过实验室分析，有待进一步发掘研究。（中文来源/河南日报 记者/祁道鹏 张体义 编译/洪建园 审校/丁岚）