Majiabang Site

Majiabang Site

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

The Majiabang Site is located in Tiandaqiao Village, Nanhu Township, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. It is a representative site of the Neolithic Majiabang Culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Taihu Lake Basin, dating back approximately 6,000 years.

The site is divided into two cultural layers: the upper layer is primarily composed of grayish-black clay, along with layers of red burned soil and silt. Artifacts found here include animal bones, stone tools, pottery fragments of various materials, as well as architectural remains. The lower layer is black clay rich in decayed animal bone fragments, containing even more bones than the upper layer, as well as bone awls, bone needles, stone axes, and pottery shards. At the junction of the upper and lower layers, within the silt, tombs were discovered, yielding 30 human skeletons. Artifacts unearthed include perforated stone axes, pottery dou (food vessels), jars, basins, and jade beads. Analysis of these artifacts suggests that the Majiabang inhabitants primarily relied on hunting, supplemented by gathering and fishing.

With its distinctive and typical cultural features, the Majiabang Site has drawn significant attention from the archaeological community and has given its name to the Majiabang Culture, establishing its place in China’s prehistoric cultural heritage. The recognition of the Majiabang Culture highlights the importance of prehistoric cultures in the lower Yangtze region within China’s broader prehistory, providing valuable physical evidence for studying the role this area played in the origins of Chinese civilization. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Location

Majiabang Village, Xiucheng District, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province

Further Reading:

· One of the First Batch of Provincial-level Archaeological Site Parks in Zhejiang Province

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units