The Gantangqing Site

Gantangqing Site

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

The Jiangchuan Gantangqing Paleolithic Site, located in Jiangchuan County, Yunnan Province, lies about 1.5 kilometers southwest of Shanglongtan Village, Lujü Town. It was discovered during a cultural relics survey in 1984, and archaeological excavations were carried out in 1989. Covering an area of approximately 300 square meters, the excavation unearthed a large number of stone artifacts and a rich collection of mammalian fossils, preliminarily identified as an early Paleolithic site.

It is another significant early Paleolithic open-air site discovered in Yunnan Province after the Yuanmou Man Site. Most importantly, wooden artifacts and evidence of fire use were found.

Since wooden artifacts are extremely prone to decay, discoveries of early human wooden objects are exceedingly rare worldwide. The finding of wooden artifacts at this site not only fills a domestic research gap in this field but also represents the earliest known wooden artifacts in the world to date.

The fire-use remains found at the site resemble the remnants of a campfire, preserved largely in their original state. This type of fire-use evidence is also being reported for the first time at an early Paleolithic site in China.

The discovery, excavation, and study of the site undoubtedly provide new evidence supporting the theory of the local origin of ancient humans in East Asia, further proving that the central Yunnan Plateau is a key region in human origins.

On May 16, 2016, following evaluation and voting by national experts, the Jiangchuan Gantangqing Paleolithic Site was listed among the Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of 2015 in China.

On October 16, 2019, it was designated as part of the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Lujü Town: Located in the northeast of Jiangchuan County, Lujü Town borders Huaning County to the east and faces Chengjiang County across the lake to the north. It covers a total area of 108 square kilometers. The town administers 8 village committees, 42 natural villages, and 56 villager groups. The town government is located in Zhongba Xiaojiezhi, about 12 kilometers from the county seat, with convenient transportation. By the end of 2001, the town had a total population of 27,133, cultivated land area of 17,690 mu, and a population density of 333 people per square kilometer. With a mild climate year-round, it is abundant in grain and tobacco production, and is well known as a “land of fish and rice” as well as a major tobacco-growing area. In recent years, the town has consistently focused on economic development, deepening... Detailed information about Lujü Town++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units