Taizisi Ruins

Taizisi Ruins

The Taizisi Ruins are a cultural heritage protection unit of Henan Province.

The Taizisi Ruins are located on the east bank of the Magang River, southeast of Miaowan Town and northeast of Pingyu County. They are a Neolithic-period site. In 1983, they were designated as part of the second batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units by the People’s Government of Henan Province. The terrain of the ruins is higher in the north and lower in the south, with the highest point rising 6 meters above the ground. The entire site stretches 120 meters from east to west and 160 meters from north to south, covering a total area of approximately 20,000 square meters. The central platform of the ruins was one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Miaowan" during the Ming and Qing dynasties, poetically referred to as "Ancient Temple Piercing the Clouds," hence the name Taizisi (Temple Platform Temple). The ancient temple was destroyed as early as the late Qing Dynasty, leaving only the raised platform.

The site is rich in archaeological content. Artifacts collected here include stone axes, deer antlers representing different ages of deer, spinning whorls, horn cones, tooth cones, stone arrowheads, tripod feet, li tripod feet, steamers, and clarifying-filtering vessels, among other fragments. The pottery is mainly sandy clay, with some finer clay pieces. In terms of color, gray pottery dominates, followed by black and red pottery. Decorative patterns primarily feature cord marks, supplemented by blue patterns and striped designs. A unique feature of this site is the abundance of scattered shells and snail shells on the ground. In areas where these shells have accumulated thickly, crops still fail to grow today, giving it a distinctly southern “shell mound” character. The discovery of this site provides valuable physical material for studying the cultural exchange and integration between northern and southern China, as well as for exploring the development and formation of cultures along the upper reaches of the Huai River.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Henan Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units

· Second Batch of Henan Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Heritage Protection Units