Ancient Cultural Ruins Cluster in Ruicheng County

Ancient Cultural Ruins Cluster in Ruicheng County

The Ancient Cultural Ruins Cluster in Ruicheng County is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Ancient Cultural Ruins Cluster in Ruicheng County is located within Ruicheng County. This area boasts numerous ancient cultural ruins and is one of the important sites for studying early Pleistocene, Paleolithic to Late Longshan Culture periods in China’s Yellow River Basin. Excavations began here in the 1930s, and within the 13.5-kilometer Xihexi ruins zone alone, 11 stone tool sites have been unearthed. Among the dozens of ancient animal fossils discovered, extinct species account for 53%, and completely extinct species make up 100%. The unearthed relics include relatively complete sets of stone tools from both the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages, as well as various pottery assemblages from the Yangshao and Longshan cultures. The site features house foundations, kiln pits, ash pits, and tombs. The geological strata in the area are clearly dated, with well-defined layers and intact profiles. The stratigraphic divisions from over 10 million years ago in the Early Pleistocene to modern layers are very clear. The cultural content spans an extremely rich range—from the 1.8-million-year-old burnt bone ash layer and sites contemporary with the Lantian Ape Man era, to various periods such as the Miaodigou I and II cultural types of the Yangshao period, and the Sanliqiao type of the Longshan culture.

Source: Local Chronicles Compilation Committee of Yuncheng City