Zhaungzhuang Site in Biyang

Biyang Zhangzhuang Site

The Biyang Zhangzhuang Site is a protected cultural heritage site of Henan Province.

The Zhangzhuang Site is located to the south of Zhangzhuang Village, Wangyan Village Committee, Shewan Township, Biyang County. It neighbors Gaocun to the west, is 200 meters south of Bianzhuang, 100 meters north of Zhangzhuang, and has an east–west road to the east. The site stretches 620 meters from north to south and 560 meters from east to west, featuring a slightly elevated central area. Its southern and western parts are traversed by a winding stream. A village road runs east–west through the central part of the site, connecting directly to Gaocun, while smaller cross paths link Zhangzhuang and Bianzhuang from north to south. The total area of the site is 347,200 square meters.

On the surface of the site, there are numerous pottery shards. The pottery is predominantly gray, followed by red, with small amounts of brown, yellow, and black pottery. The decorative patterns mainly consist of cord marks, with basket weave and hand-pinched patterns as secondary features, along with some perforated designs. Most of the pottery was wheel-made, with a few hand-made pieces. The clay generally contains sand and clamshells, and some vessels have a white slip coating. Identifiable vessel types include tripods, jars, bowls, pots, and plates. Stone tools such as stone spades have also been found. In the eastern part of the site, there is an area of red-fired earth, believed to be the workshop area of the site, where many pottery shards were found along with one urn burial. In the western part of the site, a man-made layer of white soil about 25 centimeters thick and roughly 50 centimeters below the ground surface can be seen on the exposed section. This layer is neatly shaped and covers a large area, and is suspected to have been a public activity area of the site, possibly used for rituals or ceremonies.

Based on artifacts and site features, it is preliminarily concluded that the main cultural type of the Zhangzhuang Site belongs to the Lower Wanggang phase of the Longshan Culture, with elements of both the Yangshao and Qujialing Cultures. This site holds significant value for studying the origin and development of Chinese civilization, especially the existence and succession of ancient cultures in the Han River basin. In 2008, it was designated as a provincial-level protected cultural heritage site of Henan Province.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Henan Province