河南淅川县下寨遗址新石器时代墓葬发掘简报

下寨遗址位于河南省南阳市淅川县滔河乡下寨村北,北临丹江,东面和南面被源于湖北的丹江支流滔河围绕,西面为滔河乡老街道通往淅川县城的老公路,南面与滔河乡老街道隔河相望。遗址位于两河交汇处,地势比较平坦,地处河谷平原地带,滔河南岸和丹江北岸皆为东西向连绵的小山。

133 tombs uncovered at the Xiazhai site in Xichuan can be categorized into four groups according to tomb occupants’head orientations.Tombs with the occupant’s head oriented south stand out from those with oriented west,east or north.South-oriented tombs buried with jade and stone ceremonial axes are attributed to the Late Yangshao or Youziling Culture period.Remaining tombs are approximately dated to the Shijiahe Culture period.They are mainly buried with pottery vessels or a small number of jade and stone ceremonial axes with pottery vessels that are usually deposited in the waist pit.Although different groups of tombs coexist in the same cemetery,there is no overlapping or disruption between and inside each group.Thus,it can be inferred that the layout of the cemetery is intentionally planned.