Majiayuan (Ch:马家塬遗址) is an 3rd-2nd century BCE archaeological site in

Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...

, China. The site is considered as belonging to rulers of the culture of the

Xirong Xirong () or Rong were various people who lived primarily in and around the western extremities of ancient China (in modern Gansu and Qinghai). They were known as early as the Shang dynasty (1765–1122 BCE), as one of the Four Barbarians that fr ...

("Western Barbarians"), recently subjugated by the state of Qin, who included them within the defensive wall of King Zhao of Qin, built in 271 BCE. It is rather similar to another Xirong site about 50 km away, the Wangjiawa cemetery (王家洼墓地). Majiayuan was a zone of interraction between the Chinese and their nomadic neighbours to the west and north during the

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

(476–221 BCE).

Characteristics

The pits are oriented west-east, with stepped passageways and a catacomb, but Majiayuan also has wooden coffins at the bottom of a vertical pit. Ornately decorated chariots have been found, as well as sacrificial animals, and the corpses were highly decorated with gold belt ornaments with bird patterns. In the tombs, tools and weapons were installed. There were ''li'' vessels with snake patterns and spade-shaped feet, and semi-circular necklaces. About 30 horse chariots with diversified decoration were excavated at Majiayuan. A special type of Barrel-shaped jug in bronze was excavated from the tomb of a Rong chief.

Saka culture

The culture of Majiayuan, and the preceding Yanglang culture (杨郎青铜文化, 6th-3rd century BCE), are thought to have been directly or indirectly connected to the

Saka The Saka, Old Chinese, old , Pinyin, mod. , ), Shaka (Sanskrit (Brāhmī): , , ; Sanskrit (Devanāgarī): , ), or Sacae (Ancient Greek: ; Latin: were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples, Eastern Iranian peoples who lived in the Eurasian ...

(

Scythian The Scythians ( or ) or Scyths (, but note Scytho- () in composition) and sometimes also referred to as the Pontic Scythians, were an ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic people who had migrated during the 9th to 8th centuries BC fr ...

) culture, with suggestions of direct prenetration of Saka groups into North China. The

animal style Animal style art is an approach to decoration found from Ordos culture to Northern Europe in the early Iron Age, and the barbarian art of the Migration Period, characterized by its emphasis on animal motifs. The zoomorphic style of decoration ...

of the funeral artifacts in particular connects it to the world of the steppes. In particular, the decorated chariots and many artifacts have strong resemblance with Saka objects from the Issyk-kul kurgan. File:Gold belt plaques found in Majiayuan M4, Gansu.jpg, Gold belt plaques in

found in Majiayuan M4, Gansu. File:Gold plate in the form of walking feline found in Majiayuan M3, Gansu.jpg, Gold plate in the form of walking feline found in Majiayuan M3, Gansu. File:Necklace decorated with granulation, unearthed in Majiayuan, Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.jpg, Necklace decorated with granulation, unearthed in Majiayuan, Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. File:Earrings, Majiayuan cemetery in Gansu, the Warring states Period, Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.jpg, Earrings, Majiayuan cemetery in Gansu, the Warring states Period, Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. File:Majiayuan tomb figurines.jpg, Majiayuan tomb figurines. File:Arc of the eastern Steppe, the Arc (with its three zones) and the Central Plains, with major sites.png, The Majiayuan culture was part of the "Arc of the eastern Steppe", next to the Central Plain of China.

Works

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External links

Tomb M16Tomb M18

References

{{Neolithic cultures of China Archaeological sites in China