Wumeng Daihai Site Cluster

Wumeng Daihai Site Cluster

The Wumeng Daihai Site Cluster is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Daihai Site Cluster is located around Daihai Lake in Liangcheng County, Ulanqab League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is a cultural site from the Neolithic Age. The site consists of three representative locations: Wangmushan, Laohushan, and Yuangou.

The Wangmushan site is divided into upper, middle, and lower sections, covering a total area of approximately 170,000 square meters. Twenty-one semi-subterranean house foundations and fifteen ash pits have been excavated, dating back to around 6,000 to 5,000 years ago.

The Laohushan site is the naming location of the "Laohushan Culture," covering a total area of approximately 130,000 square meters. Sixty-eight semi-subterranean house foundations, thirty-four ash pits, three kilns, and three tombs have been excavated. It dates back to around 4,500 to 4,300 years ago.

The Yuangou site covers a total area of approximately 160,000 square meters. Eighty-seven cave or semi-subterranean house foundations, four ash pits, and six kilns have been excavated, with over 200 pottery and stone artifacts unearthed. The house foundations are arranged in rows along the contour lines, with white lime plaster on the living surfaces and walls. This group of well-preserved, orderly arranged, and standardized cave-style houses is rare among contemporary sites in China. It dates back to around 4,500 to 4,300 years ago.

The Daihai Site Cluster is typical material for understanding the prehistoric archaeological cultural sequence, settlement patterns, and origins of civilization in central and southern Inner Mongolia. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units