Xintunzi West Mountain Site

Xintunzi West Mountain Site

The Xintunzi West Mountain Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Xintunzi West Mountain Site is located in Fusong County, Baishan City, Jilin Province, and is an ancient human settlement site from the Paleolithic Age.

The Xintunzi West Mountain Site was discovered in 1998. In 2002, the Frontier Archaeology Research Center of Jilin University, the Jilin Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and the Fusong County Cultural Relics Management Office conducted an excavation on the site, covering an area of 70 square meters. They unearthed 30 artifacts including blades, cores, flakes, and microblades. The discovery of the site holds significant academic value for studying the migration, development, and transformation of ancient humans in the Tumen River basin, as well as the evolution of stone tool craftsmanship during the Late Pleistocene.

Historical Background

In the autumn of 1999, local villagers digging for ginseng discovered a 17.5-kilogram obsidian blade core.

In 2002, the Frontier Archaeology Research Center of Jilin University, the Jilin Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and the Fusong County Cultural Relics Management Office carried out an excavation on the site. The excavation covered an area of 70 square meters and unearthed over 30 stone artifacts.

Cultural Remains

The Xintunzi West Mountain Site is located at 127°16'13.6" east longitude and 42°33'08.1" north latitude, with an elevation of 582 meters. It was discovered in 2002, and an archaeological excavation was conducted the same year. The excavation covered an area of 70?, during which 30 items including blades, cores, flakes, and microblades were unearthed. Based on the findings, the site is believed to have been a temporary activity area for ancient humans.

An oval-shaped structure was excavated and cleared. The structure consists of two concentric oval rings made of basalt stones arranged in a certain pattern. Near the edge of the rings, a large amount of charcoal, ash, and traces of fire use were found, suggesting intentional human processing. Most of the stone artifacts were also found within the ring structure. The excavators speculate that this structure was a simple makeshift shelter-like facility built by humans for stone tool processing in open areas. All unearthed stone artifacts were made of obsidian, mainly consisting of cores, blades, and flakes. No polished stone tools or pottery shards were found at the site, suggesting its age likely dates to the Late Paleolithic or slightly later.

Significance of the Site

The discovery of this Paleolithic open-air habitation site fills a gap in the Paleolithic archaeological record within Jilin Province and is also rare among contemporaneous sites nationwide. The site yielded a 17.5-kilogram obsidian blade core, featuring a blade scar measuring 32.2 centimeters in length and 4 centimeters in width—the largest of its kind found in China from the Paleolithic period, and extremely rare even internationally. The discovery of this site holds significant academic importance for studying the migration, development, and transformation of ancient humans in the Tumen River basin, as well as the evolution of stone tool craftsmanship during the Late Pleistocene.

Site Protection

In May 2013, it was designated and announced by the State Council as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units