GaojuDui Ruins

GaojuDui Ruins

The GaojuDui Ruins are a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The GaojuDui site is a village settlement dating from the Neolithic Age to the Han Dynasty. It is located approximately in the northwest of GaojuDui Village, Puliianzhen Town, Cao County. In 1992, it was designated as part of the second batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units.

In 1957, it was discovered during a cultural relics survey in Heze Prefecture. In 1973, the Heze Prefecture Cultural Relics Work Team carried out a second survey of the site. Currently, the mound stretches 68 meters from north to south and 66 meters from east to west, covering a total area of 4,488 square meters. During the 1970s, local farmers reclaimed land here, resulting in the mound taking on a five-tiered terraced appearance. Today, the visible portion of the mound measures 48 meters both east-west and north-south, standing about 5 meters high with a roughly circular base. The mound stands prominently and can be seen from afar, and the ruins are generally well-preserved.

The mound contains cultural remains from the Longshan Culture and the Shang Dynasty, showcasing a rich cultural heritage. Based on collected samples, artifacts from the Longshan Culture period include gray pottery shards with grid patterns, coarse sandy pottery jars with blue stripes, as well as stone knives, stone axes, stone sickles, and bone awls. From the Shang Dynasty, there are rope-patterned gray pottery li tripods with sand inclusions, gray pottery jars, dou stem bowls, basins, cups, and urns. A cross-section on the eastern side of the mound reveals exposed layers of ash soil, rammed earth blocks, as well as Han Dynasty tombs and pottery fragments.

The GaojuDui Ruins are one of the symbols of Chinese civilization. The diverse cultural contents from different periods hold significant importance for the study of ancient societal evolution and major topics such as the origins of the Chinese nation. In particular, the stone tools from the Longshan period provide important evidence for researching early levels of productive forces and the development of society.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units