Shixia Site

Shixia Site

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

The Shixia Site is located 2.5 kilometers southwest of Maba Town in Qujiang County, Guangdong Province, and is a Neolithic Age site.

The site includes archaeological cultural deposits from four different periods: the first layer is a Neolithic culture stratum about 6,000 years old; the second layer is a late Neolithic culture stratum from 5,000 to 4,000 years ago, named the “Shixia Culture”; the third layer is an early Bronze Age stratum from 3,800 to 3,100 years ago; the fourth layer is a late Bronze Age stratum, corresponding in time to the late Western Zhou to the Spring and Autumn Period in the Central Plains region. The site has yielded post holes, ash pits, pottery kilns, and other remains, and 136 tombs have been excavated.

The discovery and excavation of the Shixia Site represent a major breakthrough in archaeological work in Guangdong. It fills a gap in the ancient culture prior to the Qin and Han Dynasties, provides abundant physical materials for exploring the relationships between the cultures of the province and its neighboring regions as well as those along the southeastern coast during the same period, and holds significant importance for both archaeology and history. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Location

25 kilometers southwest of Maba Town, Qujiang District, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province

Maba Town: This town is the seat of Qujiang County and is located 15 kilometers from the center of Shaoguan City. It covers an area of 189 square kilometers, including 1,853 hectares of arable land and 9,003 hectares of forested land. In 2002, the total population was 98,000, of which 32,000 were agricultural residents. The town has 17 village committees, 7 neighborhood committees, and 234 natural villages. Transportation is well-developed, with the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, National Highway 106, and the Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway (the southern entry and exit point of Shaoguan City is located within the town) running through it. Water transport is smooth, with more than 10 freight docks along the Beijiang River. Mobile phone and other communication networks cover the entire town; the area... More details about Maba Town++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units