The Northeast Wu Salt Industry Site Cluster

The Northeast Wu Salt Industry Site Cluster

The Northeast Wu Salt Industry Site Cluster is a cultural heritage conservation unit of Dongying City.

The Northeast Wu Salt Industry Site Cluster is located around Northeast Wu Village in Damatou Town, Guangrao County, with the Xiaoqing River passing through its northern part. It was first discovered during the third national cultural relics survey on June 2, 2009. The site cluster stretches approximately 3,500 meters from east to west and about 2,500 meters from north to south, covering a total area of around 8.75 million square meters. Investigations have found that the site cluster is composed of 32 individual sites, each covering an area of about 5,000 square meters. The cultural deposits at these sites are about 0.5 meters thick on average, although those at Site No. 23 are over 1 meter thick. Based on surface observations and sections of salt-leaching ditches, the unearthed artifacts are primarily helmet-shaped vessels, accounting for over 90% of the finds, along with a small number of pottery li tripods, jars, and urns. Analysis of the collected artifact samples indicates that the main period of this salt industry site cluster dates back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Additionally, Han Dynasty remains have been discovered within a 500,000-square-meter area southwest of Northeast Wu Village, yielding artifacts such as gray pottery roof tiles, gray pottery cylindrical tiles, pottery basins, and pottery jars, suggesting continued human activity during the Han Dynasty. This site cluster features a large area, good preservation, deep cultural layers, and abundant artifacts, providing important physical evidence for the study of changes in China’s coastline and the history of salt production in the pre-Qin period. It holds significant historical value and was designated as part of the third batch of municipal-level cultural heritage conservation units in 2017.

Source: Dongying City Museum of History

Damatou Town: Formerly known as Damatou Township, it is located in the northeastern part of the county, 25 kilometers from the county seat, covering a total area of 102 square kilometers with 4,210 hectares of arable land. The township governs 21 administrative villages and has a population of 32,876, including 1,499 non-agricultural residents. In 2001, the township achieved a gross domestic product of 250 million yuan, marking a 15% increase from the previous year; the value added of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries were 90 million yuan, 57 million yuan, and 104 million yuan respectively, reflecting growth rates of 4%, 18%, and 22%. Local fiscal revenue reached 3.48 million yuan, up 14.5%; the per capita net income of farmers… More details about Damatou Town++