Human sacrifice and jade offerings may have been part of rituals to protect an ancient Chinese city’s entrance nearly 4,000 years ago, according to a new study of excavations at Shimao. Archaeologists found six deposits of human skulls beneath the East Gate and jade objects embedded in its stone walls.
The skulls lay on the original ground beneath a foundation platform rather than inside burial pits. Most were badly crushed, and the deposits appear to have been placed at different times, before or during the gate’s construction. Their orientation was tied to the solstice, according to the report.
Jessica Rawson, an archaeologist at the University of Oxford, wrote that the arrangements probably formed part of a protective ritual. Her study, published in the journal Antiquity, examines three newly published volumes on the site. The findings suggest possible sacrificial practices, although the study does not establish how the people died.
Human sacrifice and jade offerings at the ancient Chinese city’s fortified gateway
Shimao occupied roughly 4 square kilometers (1.5 square miles) of the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi province, near the Yellow River’s northern bend. The city flourished from about 2300 to 1800 B.C. Its two defensive walls ran more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and divided inner and outer districts.
The East Gate, constructed around 2000 B.C., included opposing towers and additional stone-faced walls that forced entrants through a narrow passage with sharp turns. It was one of four gates, three of which remain unexcavated.
Researchers say the design shows careful planning and may share features with fortifications farther west in Eurasia, though the routes of possible contact remain unclear.
The jade objects, shaped like weapons or scepters, were inserted directly into the walls. Pottery found nearby, including jars, jugs and cups, may have been used for ceremonial feasts. Other evidence has led researchers to suggest that gatherings were held in the gateway courtyard.
Terraces, tombs and livestock reveal Shimao’s wider role
At the center stood Huangchengtai, or the Imperial Terraces. Its 11 stone-faced earth platforms formed a ceremonial center. Excavators also found more than 70 homes, many cave dwellings, and cemeteries with varied burials.
The three volumes, edited by archaeologist Zhouyong Sun, draw on excavations conducted from 2012 to 2024. They include studies of pottery, human DNA, radiocarbon dates and ancient diets.
Researchers found that residents relied on millet and animal protein, including pigs, cattle and sheep. The arrival of herded animals from farther west may have supported a larger population.
Shimao challenges earlier assumptions about China’s ancient cities and the role of northern communities in their development. “No one ever expected to find such a major urban development there,” Rawson wrote.
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