Unearthing Hongshan

Every evening, as the sun dips behind the mountains of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province, Gong Zhanqing returns from a windswept hilltop to a temporary office.

His day's work is far from over. Under a simple lamp, the 33-year-old archaeologist begins the delicate task of cleaning and documenting the day's finds, his tools a small brush, a bamboo pick and a vernier caliper.

"You have to be extremely careful, especially when reaching a key layer. You clean bit by bit to avoid damaging any artifacts," says Gong, the on-site leader of the excavation at the Zhengjiagou site in Xuanhua district.

He is an archaeologist with the Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, taking on this job at the site in 2024.

For him, this meticulous routine over the past two years is part of a much larger story — unraveling the secrets of a discovery that is offering new insights into the understanding of one of China's most important Neolithic civilizations, the Hongshan culture.

Discovered in late 2021, the Zhengjiagou site has been found to contain nine stone mound tombs, with Mound No 1 being one of the largest and most significant.

Located on a highland about 1,014 meters above sea level, the scale of this tomb left even the experienced Gong in awe.

"Although I've been in archaeology for over 10 years, I never expected to find a prehistoric structure of such massive scale on a mountaintop in this region," he says.

Covering an area of nearly 1,500 square meters, Mound No 1 is a feat of ancient engineering.

It consists of three earthen tiers, each reinforced with neatly laid stone retaining walls, forming a trapezoidal platform integrated into the mountain landscape.

The structure was clearly divided into distinct zones for burial and for rituals.

"The so-called 'stone mound tombs' are ancient burial complexes built with stones by the late Hongshan people," Gong explains.

"They functioned similarly to later mausoleums where important community figures were buried, and sacrificial activities were held."

Since systematic excavation began, over 600 artifacts have been recovered, primarily ritual objects made of jade, pottery, stone, bone and shell, with very few everyday items.

"The excavation has lasted four years, with new discoveries each year," Gong says. "We have gradually gained a clearer understanding of its structure, construction methods and cultural significance."