The Baliqiao Site

The Baliqiao Site

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

Era: Xia Dynasty

Located in Fangcheng County, Nanyang City, Henan Province, in April 1994, an excavation team from the Department of Archaeology at Peking University conducted a rescue excavation at Baliqiao, uncovering an area of 100 square meters and clearing 14 ash pits. Among the unearthed artifacts, the pottery includes sand-tempered gray pottery, black pottery, reddish-brown pottery, and clay pottery. Some pottery fragments also feature incised symbols or characters. The pottery was made using both wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques. Vessel types include wide-mouthed zun, jars, ding tripods, dou stem cups, jue wine vessels, and vessel lids. Stone tools are mostly broken production implements with coarse grinding. Identifiable types include stone axes, stone adzes, and stone spades. These findings provide reliable evidence for studying the political, cultural, and economic conditions of the Xia and Shang periods in southwestern Henan.

Research indicates that the Baliqiao Site dates back to the Xia Dynasty. Although the cultural layer is relatively thin and the content is relatively homogeneous, the ash pits are densely distributed, and the artifacts and features are abundant, giving the site significant scientific research value. In May 2013, it was designated and announced by the State Council as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units