Wannian Xianrendong and Diaotonghuan Sites

Wannian Xianrendong and Diaotonghuan Sites

The Wannian Xianrendong and Diaotonghuan Sites are Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

The Xianrendong and Diaotonghuan Sites are located at the foot of Xiaoheshan Mountain and the summit of Diaotonghuan Mountain near Dayuan Town in Wannian County, Jiangxi Province. They are Neolithic cave sites.

The entrance of the Xianrendong Site faces southeast, with a small river in front. The Diaotonghuan Site is situated in a cave atop a 60-meter-high limestone hill. The sites have produced a rich array of artifacts, including stone tools, bone implements, perforated clamshell tools, pottery shards, as well as human skulls, jawbones, teeth, and tens of thousands of animal bone fragments. Among the most remarkable finds are coarse-sand striped pottery and cord-marked pottery dating back over 10,000 years—some of the earliest pottery specimens discovered not only in East Asia but also in the world. Additionally, phytoliths of wild rice dating back 12,000 years and cultivated rice phytoliths from 10,000 years ago were uncovered, representing some of the world’s oldest known remains of cultivated rice.

The two sites feature exceptionally clear stratigraphic sequences from the late Paleolithic to the early Neolithic periods, which are rare among cave sites in southern China. They provide crucial evidence for studying the global transition of humankind from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic era. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level