Archaeological observations on agro-pastoralist integration in south-central Inner Mongolia during the Eastern Zhou

Abstract This paper archaeologically investigates three representative Eastern Zhou cemeteries in south-central Inner Mongolia. Through analysis, two types of tombs can be distinguished, according to the forms of tombs and assemblages of grave goods. Type A tombs belong to Zhao state agricultural immigrants from the south; Type B, pastoralists from the north. The coexistence of two groups of people with distinct subsistence economies in one cemetery reflects the integration process of agriculturalists and pastoralists. The emergence of agro-pastoralist integration in central-southern Inner Mongolia cross-confirms historical trajectory of the southward advance of pastoralists and the strategic management of northwestern areas by the Zhao state.