Qingfengling Site

Qingfengling Site

The Qingfengling Site is a cultural heritage protection unit of Shandong Province.

The Qingfengling Site is a prehistoric settlement primarily characterized by the microlithic culture of the Mesolithic Age. Its discovery has attracted attention from archaeological circles both in China and abroad, making a significant contribution to the study of human historical development and the ancient history of southern Shandong.

The site is situated north of Wang and Zheng Tianzhuang villages in Zhonggou Town, Hedong District, with Liutianzhuang to the southeast and Yangmazhuang to the north. About 700 meters to the east, a tributary of the Shu River flows from northwest to southeast. The site is a shuttle-shaped highland formed by red sandy soil deposits, slightly skewed west at the northern end and east at the southern end. It stretches 1,150 meters from north to south and 500 meters from east to west, covering a total area of approximately 575,000 square meters. The site was discovered in December 1982 and was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit by the People’s Government of Shandong Province in June 1992.

The Qingfengling Site is the second large-scale Mesolithic site discovered in Shandong, following the Fenghuangling Site. It is also the site with the richest cultural remains and artifacts found so far, and is comparatively well-preserved. In terms of its significance for site preservation, it contributes to the study of social structures during the Mesolithic Age.

It also aids in research on the evolutionary history of humans, the division of Quaternary strata, and the study of changes in paleoclimate and vegetation environments.

The discovery of the Qingfengling and Fenghuangling sites, among others, falls within an archaeological time frame that marks the transition between the waning of Late Paleolithic culture and the emergence of Neolithic culture. This period is referred to as the "Mesolithic Age." According to archaeological naming conventions, the Qingfengling Site should be classified under the previously identified Fenghuangling Culture. This discovery filled the gap in the archaeological record of the Mesolithic Age in Shandong prior to the 1980s.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units