The Gaoxinzhuang Site is located on the second terrace of the southern bank of the ancient Shu River in Juxian County. It is 90 meters long from east to west, 50 meters wide from north to south, and covers an area of 3,150 square meters. Drilling revealed that the original site was 90 meters long from east to west and 85 meters wide from north to south, with a total area of approximately 7,650 square meters. The stratigraphy below the surface is as follows: the top 90 cm consists of yellow sandy soil, from 90 to 110 cm is grayish-brown soil, from 110 to 150 cm is gray-black soil, from 150 to 260 cm is grayish-yellow soil, and no natural soil has been reached even at 280 cm. This indicates that the site has relatively thick deposits and a rich collection of artifacts. Collected samples include pottery shards with fine sand inclusions and corded patterns in grayish-brown color, plain-surfaced, checkered, and corded gray pottery jars, as well as plain basins, plates, corded urns, lids, clamshell chains, and stone knives. Artifacts from the Yueshi culture include red pottery jars with sand inclusions. From the Shang Dynasty, there are coarse red pottery li tripods and plain basins; from the Eastern Zhou period, there are dou vessels and storage jars. During excavation, bronze swords and ge halberds from the Warring States period were unearthed, along with remnants of Western Han Dynasty tombs preserved on the cliff face. According to the "Chengwu County Annals," the Gaoxinzhuang Site was established during the Spring and Autumn Period, covering an area of over 200 acres. During the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, a temple dedicated to Yuanshi Tianzun was built here, along with a temple stele. In 1938, the temple was demolished and the stele destroyed. The Gaoxinzhuang Site features rich cultural layers, encompassing the Neolithic Age, the Yueshi Culture, the Shang Dynasty, the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the Qin and Han periods, and the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, showcasing important cultural sequences from the primitive society to the feudal era. Therefore, it holds significant importance in understanding the cultural development of the region after its establishment.
In 1989, the Gaoxinzhuang Site was designated as one of the first batch of municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Heze City.
Source: Heze Municipal Office of Local Chronicles