Xiaoshankou Site

Xiaoshankou Site

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

Period: Neolithic Age

The Xiaoshankou Site is located 1 kilometer north of Xiaoshankou Village, Caocun Town, Yongqiao District, Suzhou City. It borders Xiao County to the west, Tongshan County of Jiangsu Province to the north, and the Beijing-Shanghai Railway to the east. The terrain of the site is flat, covering an area of approximately 30,000 square meters. To its west flows a river called Daoliu River, while to the east are rolling hills. Nestled against the mountains and near the water, this natural environment provided ideal conditions for the survival and development of ancient inhabitants.

The Xiaoshankou Site contains cultural remains from the early, middle, and late periods of the Neolithic Age. It provides rich physical evidence for further research on the Dawenkou and Longshan cultures in the Huaibei region, especially the characteristics and nature of the early Neolithic culture in this area. It fills the gap in the study of early Neolithic culture in Suzhou City. According to radiocarbon dating by the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the stratigraphic deposits at the site include the Longshan Culture, Dawenkou Culture, early Neolithic Culture, and Xiaoshankou Culture, dating from 6077–5700 BC and 5858–5650 BC respectively — approximately 8,000 years ago. This makes it the earliest confirmed early Neolithic culture in Anhui Province, currently provisionally named the “Xiaoshankou 9+ Phase Culture.” The Xiaoshankou Site not only holds significant importance in the Neolithic archaeological research of Anhui Province but also offers valuable insights into the distinctions and connections between the Neolithic cultures of the Huai River Basin and surrounding areas, particularly those of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.

The Xiaoshankou Site contains cultural remains from the early, middle, and late periods of the Neolithic Age, providing rich physical evidence for exploring the developmental sequence of Neolithic cultures in northern Anhui, as well as for studying the Dawenkou and Longshan cultures in the Huaibei region, especially the characteristics and nature of the early Neolithic culture in this area.

Protected Area: East to the foot of Yanshan Mountain, south to the production road, west to the Daoliu River, and north to 200 meters north of the marker stele.

Construction Control Zone: 200 meters beyond the protected area in all directions — east, south, west, and north.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units