Longshan Hill Site

Longshan Hill Site

The Longshan Hill Site is a protected cultural heritage site of Henan Province.

The Longshan Hill Site, also known as the Huanglianshu Site, is located west of Huanglianshu Village in Taoh River Township, Xichuan County, Henan Province. It is one of the cultural heritage preservation projects in the Danjiangkou Reservoir inundation area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. From May 2008 to December 2011, commissioned by the South-to-North Water Diversion Cultural Heritage Protection Office of the Henan Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics and approved by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted archaeological surveys and excavations at the site. The excavation covered an area of 9,000 square meters.

The total area of the site is approximately 200,000 square meters, with Neolithic-period remains spread across about 140,000 square meters. A large number of Neolithic-era relics were found on the exposed stratigraphic sections on the western side of the site, indicating that this part has suffered relatively severe later damage from river erosion, among other factors, and that the original site area was likely even larger. The site contains rich stratified deposits, including remains from the Ming and Qing dynasties, Song and Yuan dynasties, Han dynasty, Western Zhou dynasty, Wangwan Phase III Culture, Shijiahe Culture, Qujialing Culture, and the late Yangshao period (Zhujia Tai Culture). Among these, Neolithic-period remains are predominant.

The Longshan Hill Site is a settlement site primarily characterized by Neolithic-period deposits, featuring abundant and long-lasting Neolithic cultural remains. The late Yangshao period (Zhujia Tai Culture) settlement not only covers a relatively large area but also includes major structures such as embankments, large multi-room houses, and sacrificial areas. These findings suggest that the site was once a regional central settlement with a considerable population and social organization. The discovered embankment remains show construction methods similar to those of city walls at numerous Neolithic sites in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, providing insights into the function of prehistoric city walls in that region. The site lies in a cultural intersection zone where two major prehistoric cultural systems from the north and south alternated, interacted, and integrated, leaving deep imprints. The excavation of this site holds significant academic value not only for studying the developmental sequence of Neolithic cultures in the middle reaches of the Han River, exploring the changes and evolution patterns of settlement forms during various stages of the Neolithic period in the region, but also for understanding the cultural characteristics and nature of the transitional zone between northern and southern cultures.

Taoh River Township: A township under the jurisdiction of Xichuan County. Established as the Taoh River District in 1956, it became a township in 1958, was reorganized as a commune in 1969, and reverted to a township in 1983. Located in the southwestern part of the county on the southern bank of the Dan River, it is 25 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 117.3 square kilometers with a population of 52,000, it is traversed by National Highway 209. The township administers Donggou, Simiao Wan, Hejiapo, Yujia Gou, Yanwan, Jijia Yan, Qingquan, Zhou Ying, Jijia Shan, Caijia, Wan Jia Ling, Chenjia Wa, Baiting, Liang Zhuang, Chenjia Wan, Luoshan, Shangzhai, Yu Ying, Penyao, Menhuo, Zhushan, Xiazhai, Sigou, Huangqiao, Jinying, Wenkeng, Shenmingpu... For more detailed information on Taoh River Township, click here++.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Henan Province