Site of the Dayukou Ruins in Yicheng

Dayukou Ruins in Yicheng

The Dayukou Ruins in Yicheng are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Dayukou Ruins (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Neolithic, Western Zhou, Eastern Zhou, Han Dynasty

Address: Northeast of Dayukou Village, Longhua Town, Yicheng County, Linfen City

The Dayukou Ruins are located northeast of Dayukou Village, Longhua Town, Yicheng County, covering an area of approximately 800,000 square meters.

The Dayukou Ruins are located northeast of Dayukou Village, Longhua Town, Yicheng County, about 6 kilometers from the county seat. The site spans an area of around 800,000 square meters. Archaeological surveys, explorations, and partial excavations have confirmed that it dates back to the Neolithic, Zhou, and Han periods. The Neolithic remains are found in the western part, Western Zhou remains in the central area, Eastern Zhou remains in the northeast and north, burial clusters in the central-northern part of the site, and Han Dynasty remains in the southern section. The cultural layer is about 0.5–2.5 meters thick. On the exposed cliffs, there are ash pits, and artifacts collected from the ground and ash pits include clay red pottery fragments from the Neolithic period; gray pottery li tripods with cord marks and gray pottery jar shards from the Western Zhou; gray pottery li tripods with cord marks, gray pottery basins with cord marks, and jar fragments from the Spring and Autumn period; scroll-patterned tile end pieces and pottery supports from the Warring States period; and rope-patterned cylindrical tiles and roof tiles from the Han Dynasty.

The clan burial complex from the Western Zhou to the early Spring and Autumn period is an important component of the Dayukou Ruins. The first phase of rescue trial excavations was carried out from September 2007 to May 2008, and the second phase of large-scale excavation took place from May 2009 to May 2011. A total of 585 tombs from the Western Zhou to the early Spring and Autumn period were excavated, yielding more than 15,000 cultural relics (sets). There were also 55 Eastern Zhou storage pits, one Eastern Zhou building foundation, and one tomb each from the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Twenty-four chariot and horse pits were discovered, with over 16,000 square meters excavated, and it is estimated that the cemetery contains more than 15,000 burials. The excavation of the Dayukou Cemetery not only unearthed a large number of important cultural relics such as bronzes, lacquerware, and jades, providing valuable material for the study of the ritual systems of utensils and burials during the Western Zhou period, but also revealed a previously unrecorded Western Zhou vassal state — the State of Ba. This has significant value for studying the vassal states of southern Shanxi during the Western Zhou and their relationships with the State of Jin. The Dayukou Ruins are also of great importance for understanding the changes in culture and human settlement patterns in the region from the Han Dynasty and earlier periods. They further help explain why the people of Dayukou chose to establish a settlement here and created a brilliant culture.

The site contains remains from the Neolithic, the Spring and Autumn–Warring States (Two Zhou) periods, and the Han Dynasty. In 2007, the cemetery of the State of Ba, a vassal state from the Western Zhou, was discovered, yielding a large number of exquisite bronzes, jades, and pottery items. Some bronze artifacts bear inscriptions, which are of great significance for the study of Two Zhou history. It was awarded one of the “Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in China” and the “First Prize for Field Archaeology” by the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

In 2019, the Dayukou Ruins in Yicheng were included in the Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Dayukou Village: Dayukou Village…… More detailed information about Dayukou Village++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units