Gaojia Site

Gaojia Site

Gaojia Site is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Qinghai Province.

Gaojia Site

Located to the south of Gaojia Village in Zhuandao Township, Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County. The site covers an area of approximately 200×200 meters. The northern part of the site is adjacent to the village, the southern side borders Maying River, there is a large gully to the east, and it connects with cultivated land to the west. The ground is scattered with pottery shards and animal bones, more densely distributed in the east than in the west. On the eastern side and the northern main road as well as along the edges of gullies, thick layers of ash and ash pits are exposed. The ash layer reaches a thickness of 120 centimeters, and the ash pits are open circular pits. The ash layers and pits contain a considerable amount of animal bones, pottery shards, and occasional stone tools. Remains of damaged tombs and human bones are also visible on the northern roadside cliff. All the pottery shards found are coarse, sand-tempered pottery pieces from the Xindian culture. The shapes of the pottery include double-handled jars, basins, and pots adorned with white-painted surfaces featuring dual-colored ram head patterns or S-shaped motifs, stylized S patterns, and pairs of vertical lines. There are also plain-surfaced jars and tripods as well as those decorated with cord patterns. During the survey, one painted pottery jar featuring double-hook patterns was collected, and one stone axe and one stone knife were also gathered. This site is relatively large in area with thick cultural strata, belonging to the Zhangjiazuo type of the Xindian culture. It is a provincial-level cultural heritage protection site.