Shangcai Guangwutai Site

Shangcai Guangwutai Site

The Shangcai Guangwutai Site is a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

The Guangwutai Site is located in Yangzhuang Village, Dong’an Township, approximately 35 kilometers northeast of Shangcai County, at an elevation of 59 meters. The site is a rectangular earthen platform, measuring 70.3 meters from north to south, 52.2 meters from east to west, with a total area of 3,669.66 square meters and a height of 5.5 meters. Currently, the site is occupied by Yangzhuang Village Primary School.

Through multiple archaeological surveys and drilling explorations, it has been determined that this is an ancient cultural site with relatively thick cultural layers.

The first layer is a near-modern disturbed soil layer, appearing grayish-yellow with a relatively hard texture. Its contents mainly consist of modern artifacts such as plastic, glass, gravel, traces of plant ash, and fragmented or broken bricks and tiles from building ruins, with a thickness ranging from 0.15 to 0.30 meters.

The second layer is dark gray in color and soft in texture, commonly containing carbonized grains (or pieces) of various types, including wheat, barley, buckwheat, soybeans, mung beans, millet, and sorghum. The distribution pattern shows that miscellaneous grains are mostly concentrated in the southern part of the platform, while wheat is more common in the northern part. In the faulted area at the top of the platform, there are remnants of bricks, tiles, and charcoal traces. This layer has a thickness of 0.43 to 1.10 meters and covers nearly the entire platform. It is analyzed to be the site of an ancient granary. Based on the abundance of charcoal and carbonized grain particles, it is inferred to be a granary site from the Eastern Han Dynasty that was destroyed by fire, either from warfare or other causes.

The third layer is a rammed earth layer, appearing light grayish-yellow, with a thickness of 1.9 to 3.2 meters. Each rammed layer is 0.1 to 0.2 meters thick. No ramming pits were found, indicating it was likely constructed using flat ramming techniques.

The fourth layer is dark gray in color, slightly loose in texture, and contains fragments of pottery, stone tools, and layers of red fired earth. The pottery fragments are predominantly black pottery, followed by gray and red pottery. The decorative patterns mainly include stripes and rope patterns, along with square grid patterns, incised string patterns, applied ridges, and fingernail impressions. Identifiable pottery fragments include the bottoms and rims of bowls, and the legs of tripods. The tripod legs are mostly chisel-shaped, in red and white colors, with some small and flat ones as well. Stone tools include stone adzes and stone sickles—production tools that were both chipped and polished, showing exceptional craftsmanship. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the texture, shape, and decorative features of the collected pottery and stone samples, it is concluded that this site is part of the Longshan Culture of Henan. Additionally, there are large areas of red fired earth concentrated in the southern part of the platform, indicating residential remains.

Most of the ancient cultural sites in Shangcai County are distributed along both sides of the former bed of the Ku River, particularly those belonging to the Longshan Culture of Henan. This reflects the ancient inhabitants’ habit of settling near water. The Ku River enters Shangcai County from Huapo Town and flows through nearly five townships before entering Xiangcheng County. Along the Ku River, 13 sites from the Longshan Culture period have been discovered in these townships, among which the Guangwutai Site is the most valuable due to its thick cultural layers and numerous typical artifacts, offering high scientific research value. In June 1963, the Guangwutai Site was designated as one of the first provincial-level cultural relic protection units by the People’s Government of Henan Province.

Dong’an Township: Dong’an Township is located in the northeastern part of Shangcai County, about 36 kilometers from the county seat. It borders Shangshui County of Zhoukou City to the north, Zhuli Town to the west, Hanzhai Township to the south, and Chongli Township to the east, covering a total area of 60.84 square kilometers. It administers 21 administrative villages and 68 natural villages, with a population of 57,400 and 72,000 mu of arable land. The township enjoys a superior geographical location, with the Luohe–Xiangcheng Highway passing through it. It is adjacent to Wuhuang Road to the east and close to Shangqiu–Tongbo Road to the west, with asphalt roads connecting every village, ensuring fast and convenient transportation. The area is fully equipped with communication facilities, has ample power supply, and abundant water resources. … More details about Dong’an Township ++

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Henan Province