Qingdun Site

　　   The Qingdun Site was first discovered in 1973. In the spring of 1976, the Nantong Museum collected and gathered some unearthed artifacts from Qingdun, many of which were precious jade items such as bi discs, cong tubes, pendants, and rings belonging to the Liangzhu culture. The following November, the museum conducted a small-scale trial excavation at Qingdun. Subsequently, the Nantong Museum carried out large-scale excavations covering an area of 490 square meters in April–May 1978 and again in April–May 1979. Among the numerous pottery items unearthed at the Qingdun Site was a red pottery axe with a handle and perforation, hailed as a “national treasure.” It was modeled after an actual stone axe and consisted of a handle and a perforated blade. This pottery axe was not a practical tool but provided physical evidence of how perforated stone axes were mounted in that era. The design of the pottery axe is also highly unique and aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, the Qingdun Site yielded a deer antler plow and a three-pronged throwing weapon, both of which were found in Jiangsu for the first time and hold significant historical and archaeological value.

　　   Analysis of the cultural remains at the Qingdun Site shows that, although it is located north of the Yangtze River, its overall cultural characteristics are largely similar to those of Neolithic remains in southern Jiangnan, while differing considerably from related Neolithic remains in northern Jiangsu. The features of the cultural layers are more closely aligned with the middle layer of the Songze culture (which dates back approximately 5,800–5,000 years), while the jade artifacts and other remains found in the upper cultural layers exhibit some of the main characteristics of the Liangzhu culture (which dates back approximately 5,000–4,000 years).

　　   The discovery of the Qingdun Site is of great significance in exploring the cultural relationships among various Neolithic cultures north and south of the Yangtze River. In 2006, as a prehistoric site from the Neolithic period, the Qingdun Site was included in the sixth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council.