Xinghua Jiangzhuang Site

Xinghua Jiangzhuang Site

The Xinghua Jiangzhuang Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Jiangzhuang Site is located at the border between Xinghua and Dongtai, two cities in Jiangsu Province, spanning Jiangzhuang Village in Zhangguo Town of Xinghua City and Wuxing Village and Shuangxi Village in Shijian Town of Dongtai City. The site was initially discovered by local heritage enthusiasts. In 2010, due to the need for the widening project of the Taidong River water conservancy system, the Archaeology Department of the Nanjing Museum investigated and confirmed the site. The part of the site located within Xinghua is referred to locally as “Ye Cheng” (Wild City).

Divided by the Taidong River, the site can be divided into eastern and western sections. The eastern section (Zone II) mainly consists of accumulations from the Tang and Song dynasties, covering an area of 450,000 square meters; the western section (Zone I) is dominated by accumulations from the Neolithic Liangzhu Culture, covering nearly 20,000 square meters. Located in the Lixiahe region, which has an average elevation of about 3 meters, the site features high groundwater levels and a dense network of waterways. A partial profile along the riverbank on the north side of the site shows that above the Liangzhu cultural layer in this area lies a thick, pure yellow soil layer about 0.8–1 meter deep, identified as a water-formed intermittent layer. Above this intermittent layer are accumulations from the Tang and Song dynasties. This indicates that during the Liangzhu period, the western section of the site had a raised central area sloping gradually downward toward the edges. Over thousands of years of natural sedimentation and subsequent human activity, the terrain of the site has now become level with the surrounding areas. From October 2011 to December 2015, the Archaeological Research Institute of the Nanjing Museum conducted rescue archaeological excavations and subsequent academically oriented proactive excavations. The excavation work focused primarily on the western section, with a total excavated area of 3,500 square meters, uncovering a Liangzhu Culture settlement. To date, 280 tombs, 8 house foundations, over 110 ash pits, as well as wells, ditches, and other significant remains from this period have been cleared. Nearly 1,200 artifacts made of various materials such as jade, stone, pottery, and bone have been unearthed. Excavation work is still ongoing.

In 2019, the Xinghua Jiangzhuang Site was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units