Gaomiao Site

Gaomiao Site

The Gaomiao Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Gaomiao Site is located in Yanli Village, Chatou Township, Hongjiang City, Huaihua, Hunan Province. It is a well-preserved Neolithic shell mound site on the first terrace of the Yuan River, covering an area of approximately 15,000 square meters. The cultural deposits here are quite thick, with the deepest layers reaching over 5 meters from the surface. The site can be divided into lower and upper remains.

The lower remains are roughly contemporaneous with the middle to late periods of the Zaoshi lower layer (around 7,400 years ago). A significant number of white pottery items were unearthed, including tripods, jars, and bowls. These artifacts feature distinctive shapes, often lacking side handles. The most characteristic decorations include stamped phoenix bird motifs and beast-face patterns formed with punctate and incised dots.

The upper remains date to approximately the same period as the Daxi Culture (around 6,500–5,300 years ago) and share certain connections with it. The decorative styles mainly consist of stamped and raised dot patterns. Pottery items such as tripods and jars retain the traditional feature of curved necks, leading scholars to classify them as “Lower Gaomiao Culture” and “Upper Gaomiao Culture,” respectively.

The cultural relics found at the Gaomiao Site not only confirm the rationality of categorizing the “Yuan River Cultural Cluster” but also demonstrate that after the advent of the Neolithic Age, the local stone-age culture retained its distinct regional characteristics and had a significant influence on the cultural exchanges across the Dongting Lake region and even into southern China. The Gaomiao Site represents a key cultural heritage site in the ancient history of Hongjiang City, possessing notable historical and scientific value, as well as exceptional artistic significance. In particular, the stamped phoenix bird and fanged beast-face patterns popular in the Lower Gaomiao Culture rival the mysterious and artistic qualities of designs found on Liangzhu jade artifacts and Shang-Zhou dynasty bronzes. This discovery opens up new avenues for research into the ancient civilizations of Hunan Province and beyond.

In May 2006, the Gaomiao Site, as a Neolithic site, was approved by the State Council for inclusion in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units