从卫星图像上看,在塔里木盆地东端,有一片面积辽阔的塔里木河—孔雀河大三角洲,许多古河道从三角洲的北缘呈放射状向东和东南方向展布。其中,小河河道由孔雀河下游向南分出,尾闾隐没在罗布荒原南部的漫漫黄沙中。小河墓地因此得名。2002年起新疆考古所历时四年三次进入小河墓地,总计发掘墓葬167座,采集古尸标木30多具。经碳十四测年该墓地距今约3500～4000年,持续时间长达五六百年。 From the satellite image, there is a vast Tarim River-Peacock River Delta at the eastern end of the Tarim Basin. Many ancient river channels radiate east and southeast from the northern margin of the delta. Among them, the river channel from the lower reaches of Peacock divide south, the tail hidden in the long sandy barren desolate southern sand. Creek cemetery hence the name. Xinjiang archeology from 2002 to four years into the Creek cemetery three times, a total of 167 tombs were uncovered, collecting ancient dead wood more than 30. The carbon dating dating from about 3500 ~ 4000 years ago, the duration of up to five or six years.