Xinglongwa Primitive Settlement Site

Xinglongwa Primitive Settlement Site

The Xinglongwa Primitive Settlement Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Xinglongwa primitive settlement is located on the western edge of a hill approximately 1.3 kilometers southeast of Xinglongwa Village, Baoguotu Township, Aohan Banner. To the south are continuous mountain ranges, to the north the view is open, and to the east there is...: it lies along a prominent ridge formed where two low mountain ranges meet, situated in the lower reaches of a valley where two ridges intersect, covering an area of about ?? square meters. Within a 2-square-kilometer area, there are 2 Xinglongwa sites, 4 Hongshan culture sites, 3 Zhaobaogou sites, and 3 Lower Xiajiadian culture sites, indicating that this area was inhabited by humans continuously from 8200 to 3600 years ago. It represents a vertical cross-section of ancient cultures in Aohan Banner and even northern China.

From 1983 to 1994, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

and the Institute of Archaeology conducted seven large-scale excavations at the Xinglongwa site, with a total excavation area of 40,000 square meters, uncovering 153 ancient house foundations. The houses were all square or slightly rectangular with rounded corners, and were semi-subterranean structures. The largest house covered an area of 140 square meters; no doorways were found, suggesting possible ladder access. Each house had a central hearth, surrounded by four or six larger postholes, and five to six smaller postholes along each of the four walls. Around the houses and to the northeast were storage pits. Burials within the living area were located against the walls or in the corners to the north of the living surface, all being earthen pit vertical shaft tombs. One of these was a joint human and pig burial, with the human remains wearing a shell skirt.

The excavations unearthed the world’s earliest known jade artifacts — “jade ?”. They also revealed the most unusual burial customs — in-house burials and human-pig joint burials — and discovered China’s earliest known clothing — shell skirts. Additionally, thousands of precious cultural relics were recovered, including pottery, stone, jade, bone, and shell artifacts, providing a comprehensive glimpse into the production, lifestyle, and customs of the society at that time. Animal specimens found include deer, wolves, pigs, fish, and birds, while plant specimens include Manchurian walnut, pine, cypress, mugwort, legumes, polypody fern, and spikemoss, offering scientific insights into the natural vegetation and the relationship between humans and nature at the time.

The Xinglongwa site was designated as part of the fourth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council in 1986. In 1996, it was recognized as one of China’s Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of the Eighth Five-Year Plan period and one of the Century’s Top 100 Archaeological Discoveries. Due to its large excavation area, excellent preservation, early dating, and multiple archaeological records, experts have hailed it as the “First Village of China” and the “Settlement of Chinese Ancestors.”

Xinglongwa Town: Xinglongwa Town…… More details about Xinglongwa Town++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units