Northern prairie culture

Experts determined that the technology and shape of the cart, as well as other items in the graves, had actually originated in the West, indicating that cultural integration had already occurred there 2,000 years ago.

The metal embellishments, such as patterns of tigers and bighorn sheep, are emblematic of the northern prairie culture. The materials for the carts are determined to have come from what is now known as the Altai region in Russia, deep in Central Asia.

The tradition of burying cups, bowls and other vessels of gold and silver in the graves also came from the West, according to Wang.

The buried objects contain cultural elements from the northern prairie, the West, the Xirong, and the Qin, a power during the Warring States Period that later established the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC.

Archeologists also discovered gem-mounted items in the graves, suggesting a technique that spread from the southern prairie region of what is Russia today.

Unearthed grains, such as barley and wheat, also indicate that the Xirong had connections with nomads from the West and the north.

Based on these discoveries, it is believed that the Xirong tribe was a major intermediary between Eastern and Western cultures. During the Warring States Period, Xirong people exchanged not only goods with the outside world, but also integrated some foreign customs into their lives.

The tomb cluster was a stop on a 10-day Silk Road journey that started on July 15. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving cultural heritage on the Silk Road.

The route stretched 7,000 kilometers from China to the Mediterranean. Merchants in camel trains carried silk and porcelain to Europe and spices to the East 2,000 years ago.

Supported by UNESCO, the “Cherish Dunhuang” campaign took professional journalists, researchers and citizen journalists on an exploration of major natural and cultural heritage sites along the Silk Road. These include the Maijishan Grottos (Wheat Stack Hill), Jiayuguan Pass and the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang, Gansu province.

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