The Jinlianshan Graveyard and Its Role in the Study of the Dong Son – Dian Civilization

Abstract

The article presents the results of the excavation and studying of the materials from the Jinlianshan graveyard in Yuxi prefecture-level city (Yunnan Province, PRC). The significant part of the site belongs to the late period of Dian Culture (other name: Shizhaishan Culture), which, according to the found bronze coins and seal, dates from the end of 2 nd century BC to the beginning of 1 st century AD. The site was a cemetery of the population with a complex organization and social differentiation, and probably had close ties with the nearby settlement of Xueshan. Two aristocratic graves, as well as burials of representatives of the middle and lower social strata were identified in its composition. Bronze and bimetallic weapons were found in about half of the male graves, which probably indicate that during their lifetime the deceased were part of the local militia. An important feature of this cemetery is the abundance of bone remains of the dead, including those in the secondary burials, which is generally not typical for graveyards of the Dian Culture. The reasons for this characteristic feature are not entirely clear, and data from further morphological and paleogenetic anthropological analysis are needed to determine them. These prove to be opportunities for future research. At the same time, it should be emphasized that the information already obtained provides a solid basis for a more detailed reconstruction of the Dian culture, and the overall picture of the ethno-cultural development of Greater Southeast Asia, as well.