Dawutai Site

Dawutai Site

The Dawutai Site is a cultural heritage protection unit of Liaoning Province.

The Dawutai Site is located in Dawutai Village, Daxing Township, Heishan County, Liaoning Province. It was discovered during a unified cultural relics survey conducted by Jinzhou City in 1981. Physical specimens collected at that time included “Zhi”-pattern pottery shards, pottery spinning whorls, purple-red sandy pottery, gray pottery, fishbone-pattern pottery, and fragments of groove-patterned pottery. It was identified as a Neolithic site. The site is approximately 500 meters long from north to south and 200 meters wide from east to west, consisting of uneven sand dunes formed from fine sandy soil. On these dunes, due to wind and rain erosion, many scattered artifacts and specimens are exposed on the surface. Among them, there are many fragments of purple-red sandy pottery and various polished stone artifacts, featuring relatively complex patterns. There are also large rope patterns, scraped groove patterns, meander patterns, interlaced patterns, etc. The shapes of the artifacts include remnants of three-legged vessels, dou handles, rims, bases, and mouths. Based on the analysis of the remaining pottery types and forms, they are preliminarily determined to be artifacts from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, as well as the Spring and Autumn period, although no stone or bone tools were found.

This site is not small in scale, with a significant number of surviving fragmented artifacts and rich decorative patterns. However, the underground soil stratigraphy of the site is unclear. Sand has accumulated to form dunes, with only a small amount of fired soil visible, no cultural layers, and no remains such as ash pits. Based on this, it is inferred that this site may have been covered by drifting sand early on. Due to the loose soil and sparse vegetation with little plant cover, every time heavy rains wash over the area, a layer of artifacts becomes exposed. Over time, the appearance of the site has changed. Currently, taking soil from this area is strictly prohibited to prevent human-caused damage. It has been listed by the People’s Government of Liaoning Province as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units.

Protected Area: Within 100 meters east and west, and 150 meters north and south, with the marker stele as the center point.

Construction Control Zone: A Class I construction control zone within 50 meters outside the protected area.

Dawutai Village: Dawutai Village…… More detailed information on Dawutai Village++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Liaoning Province