Xiajin Site

Xiajin Site

The Xiajin Site is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Xiajin Site

Xiajin Site (4th Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Neolithic Age

Location: Xiajin Village, Yaomiao Township, Yaodu District

The site is located about 10 kilometers southwest of Linfen city proper, approximately 25 kilometers southeast of the Taosi Site. It faces the Lüliang Mountains across the Fen River to the west, and is bordered by the flat and open Linfen Basin to the north and south, at an elevation of 450 meters. In 1997, a large cemetery was discovered when a brick factory was excavating soil in the northern part of the village. In May 1998, rescue excavations were carried out on the exposed graves, unearthing a total of 533 tombs. The tombs can be divided into two types—Type A and Type B—based on the orientation of the heads. Type A tombs contained burial objects, primarily jade artifacts, along with a small number of pottery pieces, bone tools, and other small ornaments. Common artifact types included pottery jars, bottles, jade cicadas, various jade items, and turquoise wrist ornaments. Type B tombs had no burial objects at all.

The western side of the Xiajin Cemetery is adjacent to the Fen River, while the northern part has been damaged by an erosion gully that is 50 meters deep and 10 meters wide, extending to the west. Due to years of soil extraction by the brick factory, only the western part of the cemetery remains, forming an irregular trapezoid that is 20–45 meters wide from north to south and 85 meters long from east to west, covering an area of approximately 12,500 square meters. Tomb distribution is denser in the eastern half and sparser toward the west. This cemetery belongs to the late phase of the Miaodigou II Culture and is close to the early phase of the Taosi Site. It represents a highly significant new discovery in recent years.

Further Reading:

· 4th Batch of Shanxi Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protected Sites