ZHENGZHOU, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Recent excavations have revealed traces of wooden coffins in ancient tombs discovered in central China, pushing back the understanding of when China's coffin burial tradition began to more than 8,000 years ago.

According to the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, this evidence of wooden coffins was recently unearthed in Jiahu Village, which is located in Wuyang County of Henan Province. Previously, the Jiahu site gained attention for yielding China's earliest-known musical instruments -- bone flutes.

"These are the oldest wooden coffins ever discovered in China, moving our timeline for wooden burial vessels back by approximately 2,000 years," said Wei Xingtao, deputy director of the institute.

"Previously, the academic consensus was that wooden coffins first emerged during the early Dawenkou Culture approximately 6,000 years ago," said Han Jianye, a professor with the School of History at Renmin University of China.

"The discovery of wooden coffins at the Jiahu site provides new material evidence to trace the origins of prehistoric wooden burial containers," Han said.

The Jiahu site was a large, culturally rich early Neolithic settlement. In addition to the famed bone flutes, it has yielded numerous other artifacts, including turtle shells, pottery and stone tools, all of which hold great importance in exploring the origins of the Chinese civilization.

Since 2023, the Henan institute has been conducting archaeological excavations at the site. Its latest research has confirmed that it was a moat-encircled settlement that covered an area of 65,000 square meters, with distinct functional zones located within its boundaries.

"In the central burial area, we have identified a total of over 200 tombs, among which 10 show evidence of wooden coffins," said Li Jindou, excavation field director at the Jiahu site. Some of the coffins measured about 2 meters in length, 0.6 meters in width and 0.06 meters in thickness, Li noted.

"Soil analysis from their burial context revealed a significantly high concentration of lignin compared to the surrounding areas," Li said.

According to the institute, the vast majority of tombs in the site's central burial area contain funerary objects, including bone flutes, turquoise artifacts and pottery, some of which exhibit exceptionally fine craftsmanship.

In addition to the wooden coffins, archaeologists have recently uncovered over 20 bone flutes, with one tomb being the first-known instance of five flutes buried in a single grave.

"The variations in burial locations, tomb sizes, and the types and abundance of burial containers and funerary objects indicate that social differentiation had already emerged within the Jiahu site," Wei said.

The deputy director noted that the site's ritual vessel combinations -- like tripods, jars and pots, as well as different forms of sacrificial pits -- also suggest the initial formation of early funeral practices.

A protective archaeological shelter has been set up over the core area of the Jiahu site.

"Next, we will conduct holistic extraction in the key tombs and transfer the artifacts to laboratories for more meticulous excavation and research," Li said. ■