Dayangdui Site

Dayangdui Site

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

The Dayangdui Site is located on the first-level terrace on the east bank of the Anning River, within Heying Village, Jingjiu Township, in the southwestern part of Xichang City.

The Dayangdui Site sits at an elevation of 1,498 meters and covers an area of 9,600 square meters. In October 1993, the Xichang Cultural Relics Management Office carried out an excavation at the site. The main earthen platform was artificially piled up, and its cultural layers can be divided into three strata, representing three different historical periods. Artifacts unearthed include stone tools, pottery, and bronze ware.

The stratification at the Xichang Dayangdui Site is clear, the deposits are well-preserved, and the time span is extensive, showcasing rich cultural content. It is a rare heritage site for studying the history and culture of the Xichang region in ancient China, and holds significant scientific research value.

In December 2012, the Liangshan Prefecture Museum, the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and the Xichang Cultural Relics Management Office jointly conducted a survey and trial excavation at the Daxing Henglan Mountain Site. Based on soil flotation results, it was confirmed that local residents were already able to cultivate rice and barley 4,500 years ago, which significantly pushes back the timeline of agricultural civilization in the Anning River Basin. In presenting and preserving these archaeological findings, Xichang City has extended the genetic lineage of ancient farming and planting culture into the development of its modern agriculture, thereby reinforcing its cultural status as a major grain-producing county in Sichuan Province.

In November 2013, Xichang City and the Liangshan Prefecture Museum jointly conducted rescue excavations at the Ma'anshan Han Tombs. This effort uncovered one Western Han pit wooden-chamber tomb and one Eastern Han brick-chamber tomb, yielding 16 intact or restorable artifacts along with several bronze coins. Judging from the burial objects and tomb structures, it was confirmed that the tomb owners were officials of the Yuesui Commandery during the Han Dynasty. These two tombs produced a relatively large number of artifacts and represent a major archaeological discovery in Xichang over the past twenty years. They provide important physical evidence for studying the politics, economy, culture, and transportation of Xichang during the Western and Eastern Han periods, and their value is immeasurable.

Conservation

The excavation of the Dayangdui Site has drawn high attention from the domestic academic community. In 1996, the People's Government of Sichuan Province designated the Dayangdui Site as a Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In May 2006, the State Council listed the Dayangdui Site as part of the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Protected Area: The site’s boundary extends 15 meters north to the responsibility field of Wang Zhilun in Heying Village, 15 meters south to the southern end of Xiaoyangdui in Tuanjie Village, 15 meters east to the responsibility field of Wang Shizhong, and 15 meters west to the responsibility field of Wang Heyao, covering a total area of 9,600 square meters.

Construction Control Zone: A buffer zone extending 50 meters beyond the protected area.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units