Lingjiatan Site

Lingjiatan Site

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

The Lingjiatan Site was discovered in 1985 in Lingjiatan Village, Tongzha Town, Hanshan County, Anhui Province. Covering a total area of approximately 1.6 million square meters, it has been dated to around 5300–5600 years ago. It is the largest and best-preserved Neolithic settlement site found to date in the Chaohu Lake basin of the lower Yangtze River region. Since 1987, four archaeological excavations led by the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology have revealed that the settlement site includes residential areas, burial grounds, altars, workshops, and nearly 3,000 square meters of red pottery block architectural remains. A large number of exquisitely crafted jade ritual objects, stone tools, and pottery artifacts were also unearthed, demonstrating a level of sophistication and craftsmanship rarely seen at other contemporary sites. These findings suggest that Lingjiatan was a thriving city in ancient times.

Due to its comprehensive range of relics and rich cultural significance, the Lingjiatan Site has been listed as one of China’s Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries of the 20th century. Experts describe it as the only known prehistoric civilization from the Neolithic period discovered in China to date, providing solid evidence for exploring the origins of Chinese civilization and representing a shining jewel in the country’s ancient history. The Lingjiatan Site is China’s first known layered settlement built according to topography, making it an outstanding cultural heritage site of great significance in both Chinese and world civilization history. It holds a prominent position in the study of the evolution of ancient Chinese society and the interaction and collision of cultures from all directions. The presence of the Lingjiatan Altar, red pottery block remains, and jade ritual artifacts holds great importance for researching the origins of ancient religion, the state, primitive philosophical thought, calendrical systems, metal smelting techniques, dragon and phoenix culture, as well as the history of architecture and the aesthetics of craftsmanship. It also indicates that Lingjiatan represents a high point in the development of China’s jade culture.

Protected Area: Total area covers 453 hectares, consisting of the following seven protected zones:

(1) Core Settlement Site Protected Area: With the northern end of the bridge north of Lingjiatan Bridge as the reference point (X=48192, Y=59950), the boundary extends east to the western edge of the canal located 2,229 meters from the reference point, south to the centerline of the embankment road on the southern bank of Hou River, west to the eastern edge of the tributary of Hou River located 1,162 meters from the reference point, and north to the low-lying area of the hilly terrain located 1,181 meters from the reference point.

(2) Turtle Mound Site Protected Area: East to the western edge of the canal on the eastern side of the site, south to the northern bank of Hou River, west to the eastern edge of the tributary of Hou River on the western side of the site, and north to the southern edge of the canal on the northern side of the site.

(3) Ligang Site Protected Area: East to the western edge of the river on the eastern side of the site, south to the northern bank of Hou River, west to the eastern edge of the river on the western side of the site, and north to the low-lying area between Ligang and Maizhuang hilly terrain.

(4) Qiandun Site Protected Area: East to the existing road on the eastern side of the site, south to the canal on the southern side of the site, west to the eastern edge of the pond on the western side of the site, and north to the village road on the northern side of Qiandun.

(5) Weigang Site Protected Area: East to the farmland ridges on the eastern side of Lianwei River, south to the southern edge of the pond on the southern side of the site, west to the western boundary of Weigang Village, and north to the northern boundary of Weigang Village.

(6) Wantan Site Protected Area: East to County Road 026, south to the village road from Wantan Village leading to Huangdun Middle School, west to the northeastern village road of Wantan Village, and north to the earthen ridge on the northern side of the site.

(7) Danwangqiao Site Protected Area: East to the village road from Xiaozhang Village to Danwangqiao Village, south to the northern boundary of residences in Danwangqiao Village, west to the farmland on the western side of the site, and north to the southern boundary of residences in Danwangqiao Village.

Construction Control Zone: East to the village road from Shanma River–Huangzui to the northern bank of Hou River, south to a point 200 meters south of the southern bank of Hou River, west to the ridge line of Pengxian'gang Mountain at the border between Tongzha Town and Lintou Town, north to the Huainan Railway Line, covering a total area of 2,291 hectares.

Tongzha Town: Located in the southeastern part of Hanshan County, Tongzha Town borders He County to the east. Its terrain fans out from the summit of Taihu Mountain toward the Niutun River, featuring interlocking hills and valleys and undulating landforms, often described as “nine hills, eight valleys, four polders, and two flats.” The town covers a total area of 76.45 square kilometers, with 18.3% mountainous area, 39.3% hilly area, and 42.4% polder area. It administers 12 administrative villages, 1 street neighborhood committee, and 156 natural villages, with a total population of 33,127, including 29,513 agricultural residents, and 23,760 mu of arable land. The town government is located in an area originally built during the Chiwu era of the Three Kingdoms period, dating back over... [More details about Tongzha Town++]

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units