Dachengdun Site

Dachengdun Site

The Dachengdun Site is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The Dachengdun Site is located in Xianzong Town, about 15 kilometers northwest of Hanshan County. The site is a rectangular platform, covering an area of approximately 20,000 square meters. From 1979 to 1984, the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted four excavations, uncovering a total area of 550 square meters. Dachengdun is a settlement site dating from the Neolithic Age to the Shang and Zhou periods, as well as an ancient military workshop. With a history of over 6,000 years, it boasts extremely rich cultural content, encompassing several historical periods such as those equivalent to the Yangshao, Longshan, Erlitou, Shang, Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn, Warring States, and Sui-Tang periods. The site’s culture is divided into five phases: the first phase dates to the middle period of the Dawenkou Culture; the second corresponds to the Longshan Culture period; the third aligns with the Erlitou Culture period; the fourth corresponds to the Shang Dynasty; and the fifth corresponds to the Western Zhou period. Unearthed artifacts mainly include pottery ding (tripods), dou (bean-shaped vessels), bowls, cups, stone axes, oracle bones, jade earrings, carbonized rice, and smelting crucibles. Notably, the “gan pot” used for iron smelting and copper casting is the only intact one of its kind in the country. The site also features large areas of red burned soil layers. Its discovery has provided substantial physical evidence for studying the ancient cultures of the Jianghuai region, the cultural exchanges and development between the Central Plains and southern China, as well as exploring issues related to the Huaiyi people. The excavation of Dachengdun further supports the argument that the origin of the Chinese nation is not only in the Yellow River basin but that the hinterland of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River is also one of the cradles of our ancestors. It offers invaluable insights into human development and ancient metallurgical techniques. As a result, it was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit by the provincial government in 1986.

In the same period, the provincial archaeological team also surveyed and excavated the Sujia Gang site (located one kilometer northeast of Xianzong, facing Shilongkou across the river). Excavations at Sujia Gang revealed residential areas, burial grounds, and waste disposal sites dating back more than 2,000 years ago. Numerous animal bones were found, especially deer bones and antlers, confirming that the Xianzong area was a swampy region in ancient times.

Xianzong Town: Located in the central-northern part of Hanshan, Xianzong Town is a municipal-level central town. It covers a total area of 114.96 square kilometers, with mountainous areas, hills, and low-lying paddy fields accounting for 38.4%, 60.1%, and 1.5% respectively. The town administers 24 administrative villages, one neighborhood committee, and 223 natural villages, with a total population of 43,560, including 23,198 agricultural residents. The arable land area is 2,935 mu. The town has a well-developed road network, making transportation very convenient.

The town enjoys favorable water conservancy conditions. The city’s largest medium-sized reservoir, the Changshan Reservoir, is located upstream of the town and can irrigate 60% of its area… More detailed information on Xianzong Town ++