Archaeologists in southern Mongolia have uncovered a mass grave containing the remains of Han soldiers who fought against the nomadic Xiongnu people more than 2,000 years ago. The discovery at the Bayanbulag site provides insight into the brutal nature of ancient warfare and execution practices during the Han-Xiongnu conflicts.
A significant discovery
A team led by Alexey Kovalev of the Russian Academy of Sciences analyzed more than two dozen skeletons excavated from the site.
The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, indicates that some soldiers were executed rather than dying in battle, with evidence of decapitations, amputations, and deep sword wounds.
At least two men were found buried in a kneeling position, suggesting they may have been executed on the spot. Others had severed heads or limbs, showing clear evidence of violent execution.
“Execution by dismemberment was the most shameful form of execution,” Kovalev said. “It was done by enemies so that the souls of these people could never be reborn.”
Tracing the soldiers’ origins
DNA tests on 14 skeletons confirmed that the men were genetically linked to present-day Han and northern Chinese populations. They had no relation to the Xiongnu or other ancient Siberian groups.
Strontium isotope testing, which determines childhood origins, revealed that these men came from different regions and were likely not local to Bayanbulag.
Historical records indicate that the Han-Xiongnu Wars lasted from 133 B.C. to A.D. 89, with battles taking place across the Mongolian Plateau. The Bayanbulag fortress, built in 104 B.C., was one of many Han outposts designed to defend against Xiongnu incursions. Some of these fortifications were later incorporated into the Great Wall of China.
The mass grave
Archaeologists found the remains inside a pit that was originally used for clay mining but later became a mass grave. However, the circumstances surrounding how the bodies were placed there remain unknown.
The study notes that severed arms, legs, and skulls were found grouped, but it does not confirm why this was done or by whom. Unlike formal graves, this pit lacks burial structures or evidence of ritual practices, leading researchers to suggest that it was used as a disposal site for executed individuals.
The most shameful form of execution’: Han warriors found dismembered in 2,100-year-old mass grave in Mongolia
Genetic analysis of skeletons in a mass grave in Mongolia has revealed they were soldiers in the Han-Xiongnu Wars more than two millennia ago.#Science pic.twitter.com/g2kqDZNexp— Interstellar 🚀🛸 (@mu8864) March 14, 2025
Expert reactions and future research
Michael Rivera, a bioarchaeologist at the University of Hong Kong who was not involved in the study, praised the research for combining history with scientific analysis. He noted that the site provides a rare glimpse into how soldiers from different parts of Northeast Asia fought together.
Despite the breakthrough, many questions remain. Burial customs for ordinary people from this period are not well-documented, making comparisons difficult. Kovalev emphasized the need for further study.
“Now we are studying such a grave for the first time, and for the first time, we can reconstruct this ritual,” he said.
The excavation at Bayanbulag continues, and researchers hope future discoveries will shed more light on this significant period in Chinese history.