Xishi Village Site

Xishi Village Site

The Xishi Village Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Xishi Village Site is located to the south of Xishi Village in Chengguan Township, Xingyang City. The site borders Xishi Village to the north and lies 200 meters south of the Longhai Railway. It stretches over 600 meters from east to west and more than 500 meters from north to south, covering an area of approximately 400,000 square meters. The site dates back to the Xia and Shang dynasties and was discovered in 1974.

From April 18 to May 19, 1979, the Zhengzhou Museum conducted excavations here, uncovering an area of 250 square meters divided into five phases. Within the site, pottery shards and fragmented stone tools were collected. The trench walls that cross through the site were scattered with a significant number of pottery fragments. Through partial scraping, cultural layers and ash pits were identified. The cultural layer is 2 meters thick, and the ash pits are irregular in shape with sloping walls and ring-shaped bottoms. Among the collected pottery shards, identifiable vessel shapes include large-mouthed zun, gui, basins, jars, dou, and fluted basins. The decorative patterns are predominantly rope impressions, along with string patterns, appliqué bands, and polished plain surfaces. The pottery is mainly sandy gray clay, followed by clayey gray pottery.

The Xishi Village Site has yielded a remarkably rich collection of cultural remains. Trial excavations have uncovered important relics such as bronze ware, making it a site of significant value from the Xia and Shang ancient cultures.

In 2019, the Xishi Village Site was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Source: Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics

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Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units