The 2021 excavation on the Zhengjiahu cemetery in Yunmeng, Hubei

Abstract

Situated southeast of the Chuwangcheng (City of the Chu kings) site, Zhengjiahu cemetery is a significant burial ground occupied throughout the Warring States and Qin-Han periods. Excavation in Area C was conducted in 2021. During the excavation, two noteworthy Qin culture tombs were uncovered—tombs M274 and M234. These tombs yielded a wooden gu-rod with extensive text and painted burial containers. The wooden gu-rod, remarkable in its form and abundant in content, is important for the study of the social history and ideology of the late Warring States period. Additionally, the discovery of painted burial containers bridges a gap in our current understanding of Qin and Han painting media and genres. These artifacts offer indispensable data for researching burial customs and rituals, along with the religious thought of the Qin migrants from Guanzhong.