Ruins of the Gao Huang Temple

Ruins of the Gao Huang Temple

The ruins of the Gao Huang Temple are located northeast of Gao Huang Miao Village, Liuquan Township, Tongshan County. The site consists of an earthen platform that was originally nine meters high and covered an area of about 2,000 square meters. It got its name from the Gao Huang Temple built on it to commemorate Liu Bang. Discovered in the autumn of 1956, the site was excavated in February 1958 by the Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Management Committee. The cultural layer is as thick as eight meters, roughly belonging to three periods: the Neolithic Age, the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and the Han Dynasty.

Remains from the Neolithic Age include burned clay and ash pits. Artifacts unearthed consist of sand-tempered pottery tripods, sand-tempered white-clad pottery ?, fine clay red pottery jars, black pottery basins, cups, bean-shaped vessels, vessel lids, sand-tempered pottery bowls, and tripod feet. Stone, bone, and shell tools were also found, dating from the Dawenkou Culture to the Longshan Culture period.

The cultural deposits from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties are the thickest. Burned clay living surfaces and ash pits have been discovered. The unearthed artifacts mainly include production tools such as stone, bone, and shell implements, particularly a large number of bone items like awls and arrowheads, as well as antler-made hoes. Pottery items include tripods, cauldrons, jars, bowls, zun vases, basins, basins, spinning whorls, net sinkers, and pottery paddles. Bronze knives, arrows, oracle bones, and oracle shells were also found.

Remains from the Warring States Period to the Han Dynasty include gray clay pottery jars, bean-shaped vessels, zun vases, glazed pottery beans, and pottery spinning whorls. Bronze artifacts comprise ring-motif sunlight mirrors, arrowheads, five-zhu coins, and ant-nose coins. Iron items include cauldrons, spades, sickles, plowshares, as well as weapons such as knives, halberds, spears, swords, and arrowheads. An iron cauldron was also discovered.