Site of the Cockfighting Terrace

Site of the Cockfighting Terrace

The Cockfighting Terrace site is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Anhui Province.

The Cockfighting Terrace is said to have been a place where cockfights were held for the King of Chu in ancient times, and is located in Shuangqiao Town, Shou County. In the autumn of 1982, a trial excavation was conducted, identifying it as a site from the late Neolithic Age to the Shang Dynasty.

The Cockfighting Terrace site is a typical terrace-type archaeological site. The "Cockfighting Terrace Culture," named after this site in Shou County, is representative of the late Longshan Era to the Erlitou Culture period in this region. Academic discussions concerning its fundamental content, cultural chronology, origin and lineage, and other related issues still require further exploration. The site is situated on a terrace on the south bank of Shouxihu Lake, with an approximately rectangular layout, about 3–4 meters high, and covering an area of 10,000 square meters. The surface of the site and its underground cultural remains are abundant. In 1934, archaeologists Li Jingdan and Wang Xiang conducted a survey here. In 1982, the Department of Archaeology at Peking University carried out an excavation, uncovering pottery, stone tools, bronze ware, bone implements, and a large number of oracle bones. Due to its rich cultural content and distinct artifact features, scholars named it the "Cockfighting Terrace Culture." This site has provided extremely valuable material for the study of Shang and Zhou cultures. In the autumn of 1982, a trial excavation was conducted, identifying it as a site from the late Neolithic Age to the Shang Dynasty. Today, pottery fragments resembling the black pottery system can be found both on and off the terrace.

The Cockfighting Terrace site is a typical terrace-type archaeological site. The "Cockfighting Terrace Culture," named after this site in Shou County, is representative of the late Longshan Era to the Erlitou Culture period in this region. Academic discussions concerning its fundamental content, cultural chronology, origin and lineage, and other related issues still require further exploration.

Protected area: 200 meters outward from the edge of the site.

Construction control zone: 100 meters surrounding the protected area.

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Shandong Province

· First Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Jining City