Second stop - Dunmu Longshan Stone Wall Site

       The wheel of history rolls forward, each rut leaving its mark on the times. Over 100 stone chamber mounds coexist with the Longshan historical landscape. From 2007-2008, the Helv City archaeological team excavated 7 stone chamber mounds at the tail of the Longshan mountain range, unearthing 146 artifacts, mainly primitive celadon and stamped hard pottery. Judging from the enclosed stone chamber structure, the narrow interior space, the orderly but roughly made objects with the characteristics of grave goods, the nature of the stone chamber mounds should be tombs, dating from the late Western Zhou to the mid-Spring and Autumn periods. This type of stone chamber mound tomb was a special burial form prevalent in the Taihu and Qiantang River basins during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. They were generally located on relatively gentle slopes of mountain ridges. The stone chambers were long and narrow, like alleyways, built up from large stones. The smoother side of the stones faced the inside of the chamber, and gaps between the stones were sometimes filled with rubble or earth. The outside of the stone chamber was built up with a mixture of stones and earth, finally forming a bun-shaped mound with a diameter ranging from 14 to 30 meters and a height from 2 to 5 meters.

       In this complete and independent burial chamber, most of the archaeological discoveries were non-utilitarian objects, mainly primitive celadon and geometrically stamped hard pottery, including bowls, jars, dou (a type of ancient Chinese food vessel), yu (a type of ancient Chinese food vessel), cans, and lids. Interestingly, no human remains were found in the excavated stone chambers. Was this a case of 'spirits guarding the city'? Was this a burial custom of the time? Or were they disturbed by tomb robbers? This adds a layer of mystery to archaeological research.