Dabona archaeological site, Archaeological site in Dabona village, China

Dabona archaeological site is a Warring States period tomb complex on a gentle slope between Xiangshan and Heilongshan, about 2 km northeast of Dabona village in Xiangyun County, Yunnan. Excavations in 1964 uncovered a wooden outer-coffin tomb with a bronze coffin made of seven detachable plates, 2 m long and weighing 300 kg, cast with wild boar, deer, water bird, eagle, swallow, tiger and leopard motifs. A stone stele now stands under an open timber pavilion with four pinkish cylindrical pillars and a tiled roof.

The site was discovered in 1961 and excavated in 1964 by the Yunnan Provincial Museum, which uncovered a wooden-chambered bronze coffin tomb and several smaller burials. In 1997, another wooden-chambered tomb was cleared about 1 km away, yielding over 40 objects of the same period. It was listed as a county-level protected unit in 1983, a prefecture-level unit in 2016, a provincial unit in 2019, and a national key cultural relic in October 2019.

The bronze coffin's shape copies a stilt house, and its panels are cast with wild boar, deer, water birds, eagles, swallows, tigers and leopards. Bronze axes and hoes from the tombs carry cloud-scroll, string and circle motifs, and the grave goods include an early bronze drum and weaving tools.

Access to the site requires prior permission from local authorities, as ongoing excavations are protected under heritage preservation laws. It is wise to contact local officials before visiting and wear appropriate clothing for rough terrain and changing mountain weather.

The bronze coffin was cast from seven detachable plates and weighs 300 kg, making it the largest bronze object found in Yunnan and the only intact Bronze Age coffin of its kind in China. Its shape imitates a pile-dwelling, and its surface bears boars, deer, water birds, eagles, swallows, tigers and leopards.