Donggutuo Site

Donggutuo Site

The Donggutuo Site is a protected cultural heritage site of Hebei Province.

The Donggutuo Site is an early Paleolithic site located on Xujia Slope in Donggutuo Village, Yangyuan County, Hebei Province.

Paleomagnetic dating indicates that the site is approximately 1 million years old, corresponding to the late Early Pleistocene or early Middle Pleistocene. Located on the eastern edge of the Nihewan Basin, the Donggutuo Site is one of the most frequently excavated and artifact-rich early Pleistocene Paleolithic sites in the area.

Over 1,600 stone artifacts have been unearthed at the Donggutuo Site, including stone cores, flakes, and tools. Tool types include scrapers, points, and choppers. Additionally, there are bone fragments showing signs of percussion. This site, along with the nearby Xiaochangliang Site, is collectively referred to as the "Donggutuo–Xiaochangliang Culture."

Analysis of the pollen, grain size, magnetic susceptibility, and iron oxides from the stratigraphic profile of the 2000–2001 excavations at the site indicates that the overall environment was a lakeshore sedimentary setting. The Nihewan Formation went through roughly four environmental change stages: from a warm and moist forest-steppe environment, to a cool and moist forest-steppe environment, then to a cool and relatively dry forest-steppe environment, and finally to a warm and moist forest environment — all of which were suitable for the survival of early humans. Lake levels experienced a sequence of relatively high — decreasing — rising — decreasing, reflecting the expansion and contraction of the Nihewan Lake basin. After the lake disappeared, the area became a cold and dry open woodland steppe. Human activity at the site occurred around 1.10 million years ago, corresponding to the first three stages of environmental evolution. Early humans were mainly active during periods when lake levels were relatively low, and their lifestyle evolved from sporadic stone tool production, to raw material collection, and then to concentrated tool-making, hunting, and animal butchering activities. This study holds significant importance for understanding the impact of environmental changes on human activity, as well as how early humans utilized this site.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Hebei Province