Dawenkou culture cemetery at the southern Gangshang site in Tengzhou, Shandong

Abstract A joint excavation led by the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the College of Liberal Arts of Shanghai University was conducted in the southern Gangshang site in Tengzhou between September 2020 and January 2021. This excavation revealed a cemetery with 16 vertical earthen pit tombs from the late Dawenkou period. The tombs, categorized as large, medium, or small, displayed significant hierarchical differences, variety of grave goods, and types of burial containers. These findings provide valuable insights into the social stratification, burial practices, funerary rites, and the evolution of ritual systems during the late Dawenkou period.