Location: On the border of Lingyuan and Jianping counties, Northeast China's Liaoning Province

Period: Late Neolithic Age (3770-2920BC)

Excavation period: 2003

The Liaoning Provincial Cultural Relics Archeological Research Institute, led by Zhu Da

 Findings

During the excavation at the No 16 site in the southwest of the Niulheliang ruins of the Hongshan Culture last year, an area of 1, 575 square meters were uncovered, containing six tombs and 479 relics, including a jade human figurine, a phoenix and a piece of a jade dragon . Other unearthed jade pieces included bracelets, loops and pendants.

The most startling discovery was the 3.9 x 3.1 x 4.68-meter M4 stone grave -- the largest grave ever found at the Neolithic Hongshan Culture Site in Niuheliang . The jade articles were found well preserved in a stone coffin.

Unlike most other graves in the area, this one was buried in hard granite along the ridge of the mountain. Experts say the well-preserved skeleton, with its head pointing to the east and feet to the west, could have belonged to a man 45-50 years of age. They say he must have been a very rich man who enjoyed a high social status since he was buried with a jade figurine and phoenix.

The 18.5-centimeter-tall greenstone human figurine was found naked on the left side of the skeleton's pelvis. The 19.5-centimeter jade phoenix found under the skeleton's head was also a first-time discovery at the Hongshan Culture Site. The light-green jade dragon is referred to as the "pig dragon," since its coiled body is combined with the head of a pig with a broad, creased snout and tusks. It shaped like the other two jade dragons unearthed in the same area in 1984 and resembles the Chinese character "dragon" in ancient script found on bones and turtle shells.  

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