Shangzhai Site

Shangzhai Site

The Shangzhai Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Shangzhai Neolithic cultural site is located on a hillside terrace 200 meters north of Shangzhai Village, Hanzhuang Township, Pinggu County. Dating back 6,000 years, it is another significant ancient relic following the Yangshao Culture in Henan, the Majiayao Culture in Gansu, the Dawenkou Culture in Shandong, and the Longshan Culture in Henan. The site is divided into eight layers: the upper layer represents the Shang, Zhou, Tang, and Liao cultures; the middle layer is similar to the Hongshan Culture; and the lower layer belongs to the middle and early Neolithic period. The cultural strata of the site reach a depth of over 4 meters.

China’s oldest known stone carving—a stone monkey—and some of the earliest and most exquisitely crafted artifacts, such as a pottery pig head sculpture… Recently, the Beijing Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics officially handed over artifacts excavated from the Shangzhai and Beiniantou sites to the Shangzhai Cultural Exhibition Hall in Pinggu District for collection. A total of 12,959 relics have been stored at the institute since their excavation.

Established in 1987, the Shangzhai Cultural Exhibition Hall is the first thematic museum in China named after an archaeological culture. The museum displays numerous relics from the Neolithic Age, dating back 7,000 years, when humans first settled and thrived. These artifacts present a historical picture of the vibrant cultural interplay between Shangzhai and Zhoukoudian.

The Shangzhai and Beiniantou sites are located in Pinggu District and represent Neolithic cultural remains in the Beijing area. They are the earliest discovered evidence of nascent primitive agriculture in Beijing’s Neolithic culture. Both sites were excavated in the 1980s, yielding a large number of microliths, stone tools, and pottery. The relics handed over this time have been stored at the Beijing Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics since their discovery, including 981 pottery items, 5,677 stone tools, and 6,301 microliths and miscellaneous items.

In 2019, it was designated as part of the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units