The Houqianyi Site

The Houqianyi Site

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

The Houqianyi Site is located on a small hill south of Dongfaba Village, Xiangtang Town, Luan County, covering an area of approximately 14,400 square meters. Discovered in March 1990, the cultural layer is about 0.3 meters below the surface and is roughly 0.7 meters thick. It contains rich cultural remains, with a large number of valuable pottery shards, stone tools, and bone artifacts unearthed.

In October 1999, a joint archaeological team from the provincial, municipal, and county levels conducted a specialized excavation of the site. The first phase of the project uncovered an area of 150 square meters. The cultural layer reaches a depth of over 2 meters, yielding nine vertical pit burials, one house foundation, more than 40 ash pits, and over 200 valuable relics including bronze ding and gui vessels, gold ornaments, and polished pottery. Stratigraphically, the upper layer shows Shang culture elements, while the lower layer belongs to the Longshan culture.

The archaeological excavation of the Houqianyi Site has revealed the deeper cultural significance of Northern Shang culture, particularly the development of Shang culture along the Luan River basin, providing important evidence for the study of the interaction and integration between Central Plains Shang culture and Northern Shang culture.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Hebei Province