When compared with earlier sites, late Dawenkou culture shows more differentiation. Although most tombs had between ten and twenty objects, some had only one or two, and the richest burials had fifty, sixty, or even more than 180 pieces. In the larger tombs the coffins were placed inside wooden chambers lining the grave pit for additional protection. The larger graves with more burial items were also separated from those with fewer items. Because the gradation between tombs seems gradual, it is thought that differences may reflect differences in age or achievement, rather than hereditary rank.