Gaohong Site

Gaohong Site

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

Gaohong Site (Fifth Batch of Provincial-level Protected Sites)

Era: Neolithic to Shang Dynasty

Location: On the second-level terrace on the south bank of the Sanchuan River, in Gaohong Village, Xuecun Town, Liulin County, Lüliang City

Also known as the Sizhaoyuan Site, this site was discovered in 1983. It stretches approximately 250 meters from east to west and about 217 meters from north to south. It belongs to cultural remains from the Neolithic to the Shang Dynasty. Artifacts collected from the surface include gray pottery shards with sand inclusions of the Yan type from the Longshan Culture, featuring decorative patterns such as cord and basket impressions, and vessel forms including jars, bowls, pots, tripods, and others.

Between 2004 and 2006, the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology conducted an archaeological survey of the site, discovering a unique Late Shang bronze-age culture represented by Gaohong in Liulin. Excavations were carried out on the rammed earth foundations dating to the Shang period within the site, confirming that the Gaohong Site is one of the rare well-preserved early Shang Dynasty sites in China.

Currently, the original excavated surfaces have been backfilled for protection and fully hardened, with protective markers installed. The western and southern slopes of the site have been leveled into three-tiered retaining walls, with vegetation planted on their surfaces for preservation.

The Gaohong Site was selected as one of the Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in China for the year 2006.

The large-scale rammed earth foundation discovered at the Gaohong Site is the only known example of large-scale rammed earth architecture from the Shang Dynasty found in northern China. It reflects the existence of a powerful political group in the northern region during that time, with the site serving as the center of activity for this group — likely the capital of the Shang Dynasty or a vassal state. This discovery provides clear clues regarding the attribution of Late Shang cultural remains represented by bronzeware found along both banks of the Yellow River on the Jin-Shaan Plateau, and holds significant archaeological research value. It has also led to new breakthroughs in our understanding of Shang Dynasty history.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Gaohong Village: Gaohong Village... Detailed information about Gaohong Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Provincial-level Protected Sites in Shanxi Province