Ancient Cultural Ruins Cluster in Ruicheng County

　　The ancient cultural ruins cluster in Ruicheng County is situated within the county. It features a wealth of ancient cultural ruins and stands as one of the important sites for researching the early Pleistocene, Paleolithic Age to the late Longshan Culture period in China’s Yellow River basin. Excavations began here in the 1930s. Within just the 13.5-kilometer Xih River ruins area, 11 stone tool sites have been unearthed. Among the dozens of types of ancient animal fossils discovered, extinct species account for 53%, and completely extinct species make up 100%. The unearthed relics include relatively complete sets of stone tools from both the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages, as well as various pottery assemblages from the Yangshao Culture and Longshan Culture. The site contains house foundations, kiln pits, ash pits, tombs, and more. The region features clearly defined geological stratigraphy, distinct layers, and intact profiles. The stratigraphic divisions from over 10 million years ago in the early Pleistocene to modern layers are very clear. The cultural content spans an extremely rich range of periods—from the 1.8-million-year-old burnt bone ash layer and sites contemporaneous with the Lantian Ape-Man era, to the Miaodigou phases I and II of the Yangshao Period, and the Sanliqiao type of the Longshan Culture, among others.

　　Source: Local Chronicles Compilation Committee of Yuncheng City