Port Wadi Dolmen
Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE)·Iron Age·🇨🇳 Henan, China
About
About Port Wadi Dolmen
Port Wadi Dolmen in Henan, China is a Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE) megalithic attributed to Iron Age culture. Systematically investigated through magnetometry and test trenching, it presents a principal enclosure with hydraulic works. Construction employs dry-stone masonry and demonstrates distinct phasing. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Iron Age megalithic with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Population scale vs catchment
- 02Social hierarchy and elite control
Theories
- 01Centralized storage and redistribution (Cunliffe)
- 02Trading entrepôt and regional hub
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 771 BCE
- Period
- Iron Age (1200 BCE–500 CE)
- Culture
- Iron Age
- Purpose
- Necropolis and ritual
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c. 771 BCE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 571 BCE
Secondary construction phase
c. 365 CE
Abandonment and gradual burial
1936
Archaeological identification via aerial survey
On the ground
Structures & features
37.3890° N · 113.8031° E · 915 m · 4 mapped features
Burial Cluster
enclosureHydraulic feature — cistern
37.3875° N · 113.8059° EAncillary Complex
reservoirBurial zone — tumuli
37.3910° N · 113.8035° EOutlier Panel
gatewayHydraulic feature — well
37.3892° N · 113.8013° EGateway
alignmentOutlier feature with alignments
37.3882° N · 113.8009° E