Sanguan Site

Sanguan Site

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

Period: Neolithic Age, Shang Dynasty, Warring States Period

Located on the Donggang Plateau in Xihexian, Yu County, Hebei Province, west of the Sanguan River. The surrounding terrain is flat, with abundant exposed relics. The site mainly features remains comparable to the Yangshao Culture, as well as those related to the Longshan Culture, Lower Xiajiadian Culture, and Warring States Culture. Gray soil layers and ash pits are visible on the exposed cliff faces of the site, with the thickest gray soil layer reaching up to 5 meters. The Sanguan Site includes residential structures from the Yangshao Culture period, all of which are rectangular semi-subterranean dwellings with circular vertical hearths inside. The walls and floors of these dwellings were coated with clay mixed with straw, then fired to create hard, smooth surfaces. Five postholes were found within the dwellings, one in the center and one at each of the four corners.

Unearthed artifacts include: small-mouthed pointed-bottom bottles, round-bottomed bowls, gourd-shaped bottles, painted pottery bowls with decorated rims, red pottery jars with sand inclusions, and more. Among the pottery, fine clay pottery and sand-tempered pottery are the most common, followed by clay-based pottery and clamshell-tempered pottery. In terms of decorative patterns, besides plain surfaces, there are also incised lines, cord marks, string patterns, comb-stamped dots, and painted designs. The painted pottery is primarily black, but also includes blackish-red and black-red combinations. The patterns often consist of arc-shaped triangles and dots. Stone tools include chipped stone axes, grinding rods, polished stone adzes, and spinning whorls. The stone axes are short with a sharp top edge and have a rectangular cross-section. The grinding rods show signs of digging use, while the spinning whorls are disc-shaped. Other finds include clamshell knives and bone awls.

The cultural remains at the Sanguan Site are similar to the Miaodigou type of the Yangshao Culture distributed in the Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan regions, and exhibit characteristics of the Banpo type. The site dates back to the early stage of the Yangshao Culture – Miaodigou type, featuring transitional traits between the middle Banpo type and the Miaodigou type.

In July 1982, it was designated as a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the People's Government of Hebei Province.

In May 2013, it was listed as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units