The largest Hongshan Jade Dragon found in a Neolithic tomb——

The largest jade dragon ever discovered in the Neolithic Hongshan Culture of northern China was unearthed from a tomb in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The Jade Dragon is 15.8 centimeters long, 9.5 centimeters wide and 3 centimeters thick (6.2 x 3.7 x 1.2 inches) and dates to the late Hongshan Culture, about 5,100 years ago.

The Yuanbaoshan Stone Mound Tomb is the largest existing round stone tomb of the Hongshan Culture. After being attacked by tomb robbers in November 2023, emergency excavation began in May this year. The outer walls of the circular mound are 23.5 meters (77 feet) in diameter and the highest point is two meters (6.5 feet) high. It is a stepped wall with six or seven floors. Black cylindrical pottery was placed on the north wall and was still in place when it was unearthed. Bowl-shaped vessels were found on the walls of the inner ring mound.

Excavations have shown that this is the first mound in Hongshan that integrates funerary buildings and altars. The mausoleum is located on the north side of the building, with a square altar 2.35 meters (7.7 ft) wide on the south side.

Inside the main body of the building, archaeologists found human skeletal remains, fire pits and cylindrical pits. A small number of human bone fragments were found in the rubble of the tomb wall, outside the peripheral wall, inside the tomb and outside the altar. The tombs are mostly stone tombs with vertical pits, and there are also some smaller cylindrical tombs. Almost all are secondary burials.

Cylindrical tombs are made of stone, and some have slate floors and ceilings. Small jade objects are buried inside. Larger vertical pit stone tombs have stepped tomb passages and contain more majestic jade objects to indicate the identity of the deceased.

More than 100 jade artifacts were discovered during the excavation, including rings, biscuits, square biscuits, yellow disks, axes, chisels, awls, silkworms, cicadas, dragons, etc. The dragon designs are abstract, and although researchers conventionally refer to them as dragons, they may or may not be intended to depict mythical creatures.

Other items include stone tools, clams, shellfish and bone tools. Analysis of the jade wares found that the jade wares used for sacrificial rituals were of poorer quality, but were larger in quantity and richer in shape. The jade used in the tombs is of very high quality, very heavy, and the craftsmanship is very fine.