Social Differentiation and Mortuary Rituals at the Xigongqiao Site: Insights into the Dawenkou–Longshan Transition in Southern Shandong

Abstract

The Xigongqiao site in Tengzhou is a representative Dawenkou Culture site in eastern China, specifically in southern Shandong Province, yielding abundant mortuary materials. All tombs at the site date to the late middle to late phase of the Dawenkou Culture, essentially belonging to the early Longshan period. This study employs basic research methods to statistically analyze tomb structure, the types of grave goods, and their placement within the tombs, resulting in the identification of three hierarchical tomb grades. The differentiation in tomb hierarchy at Xigongqiao indicates that the site's inhabitants had already developed disparities in private wealth and social status. Concurrently, evidence suggestive of the emergence of mortuary ritual systems is also present within the mortuary context. On one hand, the site inherits the Peiligang Culture's mortuary concept centered on the concept of food and drink, manifested further in the spatial separation of drinking-related and eating-related grave goods. On the other hand, the concept of treating the deceased as if living, which later became widespread and profoundly influential throughout Chinese history, may have already begun to germinate at this site. The mortuary remains at Xigongqiao reflect key social transformations during the Yangshao-Longshan transition, including social differentiation and the emergence of mortuary ritual systems. Future research employing scientific archaeological techniques, such as isotope analysis and residue testing, will be crucial for probing the deeper drivers behind these transformations.