Hangzhai Site

Hangzhai Site

The Hangzhai Site is a cultural heritage protection unit of Henan Province.

The Hangzhai Site is located northwest of Duanzhai Village, Zhuli Town, approximately 25 kilometers north of Shangcai County. The site is commonly known as "Hangzhai" and sits at an elevation of 51 meters. It is a rectangular earthen platform, with the central part significantly higher than the surrounding area. The site measures 580 meters from north to south and 340 meters from east to west, covering a total area of about 200,000 square meters. Currently, the site is entirely cultivated with crops.

In 2004, due to the construction of the Shangtong Highway passing along the southern edge of the site, an excavation was conducted under the leadership of Liu Haiwang, head of Room Three at the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. The excavation covered an area of more than 11,000 square meters. The findings revealed that the site is an ancient cultural relic with thick cultural strata and rich content. The stratification is generally divided into three major layers.

The first layer is the plow soil layer, which is grayish-yellow in color, with a loose soil structure containing a large number of plant roots and scattered pottery fragments. It is 0.2 to 0.3 meters thick.

The second layer is light gray in color, with a slightly denser soil structure and contains burnt soil and grass ash particles. Pottery shards and stone tools were unearthed, along with deposits of burnt soil. Among the pottery, gray pottery is the most common, followed by small amounts of black pottery, sandy pottery, red pottery, and very few examples of "eggshell pottery." Recognizable vessel shapes include tripods, cauldrons, jars, basins, urns, cups, steamers, and beans. The surface decorations are mainly basket patterns, grid patterns, and rope patterns. The stone tools are polished and include axes, knives, and spades. The burnt soil deposits are located in the southwestern part of the site, where furnace walls and burnt soil blocks were collected, suggesting a workshop area belonging to the Longshan Culture stratum. This layer is 0.2 to 0.3 meters below the surface and is 0.5 to 2 meters thick.

The third layer is dark gray soil with a slightly harder and denser structure, containing a small amount of burnt soil particles. The unearthed items are primarily pottery, including a larger proportion of clay pottery and sandy pottery, as well as some gray pottery. Vessel shapes include jars, basins, tripods, and steamers, mostly plain or polished on the surface. Many vessels feature rope patterns, string patterns, and added ridge patterns. The unearthed painted pottery mainly includes black and red pigments, with geometric patterns. Stone tools consist of whetstones, axes, and spades. Bone tools are less common. This layer belongs to the Yangshao Culture stratum, is 0.6 to 2.5 meters below the surface, and is about 0.3 to 0.5 meters thick.

Judging from the terrain and stratification, this site is situated on the eastern bank of the former course of the Ku River. Similar ancient cultural remains have been discovered on both banks of the Ku River’s former course, reflecting the ancient inhabitants’ habit of settling near water. This site is rich in relics, with abundant unearthed items and thick cultural layers, making it of high scientific research value. In November 1986, it was designated as part of the second batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units by the People's Government of Henan Province.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units