3,200-Year-Old Site in China Reveals Traces of Life and Death of the Shang Era

JAKARTA - A large settlement and a complex of tombs from the early Shang Dynasty were discovered in Laishui County, Baoding, Hebei Province, northern China. The findings at the Fuwei site provide new data on life, burial, and cultural relations in the region more than 3,200 years ago.

China Daily, quoted Wednesday, April 1, reported that the site at the foot of the Taihang Mountains was continuously excavated from 2023 to 2025. The project's chief archaeologist, Chang Huaiying, said his team found the remains of walls and trenches dating back to the early Shang Dynasty. The findings were not expected when excavations began.

According to Chang, the foundation of the building is the earliest example of solid-ground architecture ever found in the north-central region of the North China Plain. Such structures are said to be very rare for the period in the region.

The team also discovered a large tomb complex associated with the Datuotou culture, a local archaeological culture at the same time. So far, 58 tombs have been excavated. The tombs are neatly arranged in rows and columns, indicating a clear arrangement.

The 2025 findings show the layout of the tomb complex. The diversity of burial practices, according to Chang, exceeds the team's estimates. In this complex, the first evidence of limb cutting in the Datuotou culture was found. Animal sacrifices were also found in a number of tombs, especially sheep, cow, and dog skulls placed at the edge of the tomb. One tomb contains 12 animal skulls.

The grave goods found include pottery, shell-shell decorations, and small objects made of jade and bronze. One of the important findings is a spring-shaped bronze earring, which is commonly found at Bronze Age burial sites north of the Great Wall area. The team also found a jade handle-shaped object, which is said to be the most northern find of the period.

Radiocarbon dating places this tomb complex in the range of 1500 BC to 1300 BC. The findings extend the time range of the Datuotou culture, which has been understood. This site also shows that the Datuotou culture extends to the Yishui River valley and continues directly to the Weifang III culture without a chronological break.

Chang judged that Fuwei was an important regional center in the early Shang period, located at the point of interaction between the developing Shang culture and the local Datuotou culture. Compared to contemporary sites in Beijing, Tianjin, or northern Hebei, Fuwei shows a stronger Shang cultural influence.

Preliminary studies also indicate that the settlement relied on millet-based dryland agriculture, with no evidence of wheat or rice cultivation. More than 40 researchers and technicians from various institutions are involved in further research to trace the social structure, migration patterns, economy, technology, and resource utilization of the Datuotou community.