Lingjing "Xuchang Man" Site

Lingjing "Xuchang Man" Site

The Lingjing "Xuchang Man" Site is a protected cultural heritage site of Henan Province.

The Lingjing "Xuchang Man" Site is located in Lingnan Village, Lingjing Town, Xuchang County, Xuchang City, Henan Province, with geographic coordinates at 113°41′ east longitude and 34°04′ north latitude, and an elevation of 117 meters. The site was discovered in 1965, with its first excavation carried out in 2005, followed by several subsequent excavations. The cultural layers range from 7.2 to 5.6 meters in depth, divided into upper and lower strata. Over 30,000 animal fossils and stone tools have been unearthed. The fossil types include 18 species such as the Chinese giant hyena, Palaeoloxodon, woolly rhinoceros, Hetao giant deer, red deer, primitive cattle, the new species Lingjing Axis Deer, the new genus and species Xuchang Tricorn Deer, among others. Stone tool types include microliths, stone hammers, stone anvils, flakes, chunks, and tools, mainly made from vein quartz and flint. In addition, hundreds of artificially crafted bone tools have also been discovered.

The materials found at the Lingjing "Xuchang Man" Site represent a significant discovery in the fields of paleolithic artifacts and ancient humans. The site holds great research potential. Among these, the human skull fossil discovered in December 2007 at a depth of 4.99 meters (from the reference point) in T9 was regarded by the academic community as a major find for the study of the origin of modern humans in China. In 2008, microliths, tooth-made tools, and tooth tools used for making microliths were unearthed in the upper cultural layer, providing crucial material for studying the spread and development of microliths in Northeast Asia, as well as microlith production techniques. The stratigraphic sequence of the Lingjing Site is over 10 meters thick, covering an area of nearly 10,000 square meters, with both Paleolithic and Neolithic cultural layers present. It is one of the relatively complete stratigraphic profiles rarely seen in China, allowing for ongoing research. In June 2008, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage protection unit by the People’s Government of Henan Province.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units