Weixi Gordon Relics Scenic Area

Weixi Gordon Relics Scenic Area

The Weixi Gordon Relics Scenic Area is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Yunnan Gordon Relics Scenic Area, situated in Weixi, is located on the eastern bank of the Lapu River, about 500 meters west of Gordon Village in Tata Township, approximately 90 kilometers northeast of Weixi County. The site lies around 50 meters above the river level. Discovered in 1958, the relics were excavated and cleared by the archaeological team from the provincial museum. The Gordon Relics Site has been identified as a Neolithic Age site. This undoubtedly fills a gap in the Neolithic cultural history of Diqing Prefecture, proving that humans inhabited the area during the Neolithic period. By comparing the manufacturing techniques of unearthed artifacts with those of similar Neolithic relics found in neighboring regions, researchers have determined that the upper time limit does not predate the Karuo Site in Qamdo, Tibet (dating back 4,000–5,000 years), and the lower limit is no later than the Baiyangdian Site in Binchuan (dating back 3,000–3,500 years). The discovery of the Gordon Neolithic Site not only pushes back the known timeline of human development in Diqing Prefecture by nearly a thousand years but also plays an important role in the in-depth study of the Neolithic cultures in the Three Rivers region of Southwest China (namely the Jinsha River, Lancang River, and Nujiang River) and their connections with Neolithic cultures in northern provinces. It provides crucial physical evidence for research on historical ethnic migrations and the conditions of primitive societies in these areas.

The Gordon Relics Site has been identified as a Neolithic Age site. This undoubtedly fills a gap in the Neolithic cultural history of Diqing Prefecture, proving that humans inhabited the area during the Neolithic period. By comparing the manufacturing techniques of unearthed artifacts with those of similar Neolithic relics found in neighboring regions, researchers have determined that the upper time limit does not predate the Karuo Site in Qamdo, Tibet (dating back 4,000–5,000 years), and the lower limit is no later than the Baiyangdian Site in Binchuan (dating back 3,000–3,500 years).

A total of 60 relics were unearthed at the Gordon Site, among which 29 stone tools, 5 pottery pieces, and 2 bone tools can be clearly identified by type. All stone tools were made by grinding natural pebbles, mostly polished over the entire body, though some were only sharpened at the edges, and they vary greatly in shape. The main types include fully polished stone axes, rectangular single-holed polished stone knives, stone arrowheads, stone needles, stone adzes, stone chisels, stone awls, stone hoes, stone balls, and perforated spherical stone ornaments, with long cylindrical stone axes and long single-holed stone knives being the most typical. Most pottery items are sand-tempered gray pottery, mainly in the form of jars, along with perforated pottery fragments and sand-tempered red pottery net sinkers. Large eared jars are among the most representative pottery types. Many of the unearthed pottery pieces feature decorative patterns such as cord marks, incised lines, and plain textures. Only one bone tube and one bone chisel were found among the bone tools.

The discovery of the Gordon Neolithic Site not only pushes back the known timeline of human development in Diqing Prefecture by nearly a thousand years but also plays an important role in the in-depth study of the Neolithic cultures in the Three Rivers region of Southwest China (namely the Jinsha River, Lancang River, and Nujiang River) and their connections with Neolithic cultures in northern provinces. It provides crucial physical evidence for research on historical ethnic migrations and the conditions of primitive societies in these areas.

The relics unearthed from the Gordon Neolithic Site were displayed in a special exhibition at the Yunnan Provincial Museum in 1975. After the establishment of the Diqing Prefecture Museum, they were collected and put on display there.

The Gordon Relics Site has been identified as a Neolithic Age site. This undoubtedly fills a gap in the Neolithic cultural history of Diqing Prefecture, proving that humans inhabited the area during the Neolithic period. By comparing the manufacturing techniques of unearthed artifacts with those of similar Neolithic relics found in neighboring regions, researchers have determined that the upper time limit does not predate the Karuo Site in Qamdo, Tibet (dating back 4,000–5,000 years), and the lower limit is no later than the Baiyangdian Site in Binchuan (dating back 3,000–3,500 years).

A total of 60 relics were unearthed at the Gordon Site, among which 29 stone tools, 5 pottery pieces, and 2 bone tools can be clearly identified by type. All stone tools were made by grinding natural pebbles, mostly polished over the entire body, though some were only sharpened at the edges, and they vary greatly in shape. The main types include fully polished stone axes, rectangular single-holed polished stone knives, stone arrowheads, stone needles, stone adzes, stone chisels, stone awls, stone hoes, stone balls, and perforated spherical stone ornaments, with long cylindrical stone axes and long single-holed stone knives being the most typical. Most pottery items are sand-tempered gray pottery, mainly in the form of jars, along with perforated pottery fragments and sand-tempered red pottery net sinkers. Large eared jars are among the most representative pottery types. Many of the unearthed pottery pieces feature decorative patterns such as cord marks, incised lines, and plain textures. Only one bone tube and one bone chisel were found among the bone tools.

The discovery of the Gordon Neolithic Site not only pushes back the known timeline of human development in Diqing Prefecture by nearly a thousand years but also plays an important role in the in-depth study of the Neolithic cultures in the Three Rivers region of Southwest China (namely the Jinsha River, Lancang River, and Nujiang River) and their connections with Neolithic cultures in northern provinces. It provides crucial physical evidence for research on historical ethnic migrations and the conditions of primitive societies in these areas.

Location

About 500 meters west of Gordon Village, Tata Township, Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, on the eastern bank of the Lapu River