CHRONOLOGY OF THE TIANSHANBEILU CEMETERY IN XINJIANG, NORTHWESTERN CHINA

Eurasian steppes experienced frequent cultural transfers, human migration, and diffusion of techniques during the Bronze Age. The Hami Oasis is one of the most dynamic areas and has attracted multiple cultural flows. It is an important area that connects various routes of the Tianshan Corridor with the Hexi Corridor in western China. The Tianshanbeilu cemetery is the largest Bronze Age cemetery in Hami. Thirty-seven new radiocarbon dates allowed us to establish a new and more accurate chronology for Tianshanbeilu. Our results showed that the Tianshanbeilu cemetery was used from approximately 2022-1802 cal BC and remained in use from 1093-707 cal BC. This indicates that Tianshanbeilu is the earliest and longest-used known cemetery in eastern Xinjiang. By incorporating the typology of artifacts and stratigraphic relationships, the development of the Tianshanbeilu cemetery was divided into four phases. The first phase was from 2011-1672 cal BC, the second phase was from 1660-1408 cal BC, the third phase was from 1385-1256 cal BC, and the fourth phase was from 1214-1029 cal BC.

Automated summary

The Hami Oasis in the Eurasian steppes was a dynamic region during the Bronze Age, connecting the Tianshan Corridor and the Hexi Corridor. The Tianshanbeilu cemetery, the largest in the area, went through four phases of development and is the earliest and longest-lasting known cemetery in eastern Xinjiang.