Xiwang Village Site

　　The Xiwang Village site in Ruicheng, excavated in 1960, yielded production tools and animal bones such as those of pigs and dogs, suggesting that ancient humans here may have already been able to raise and domesticate animals. Painted pottery was also discovered, with patterns mostly consisting of plant motifs and net designs. Curved-belly bowls, basins, and double-lipped small-mouthed pointed-bottom bottles are representative daily-use utensils from this site. There were 124 pottery ring ornaments, categorized into three shapes: round, hexagonal, and nonagonal. The pottery rings were engraved with patterns, braided designs, and nipple-like protrusions, indicating an increasing awareness and pursuit of beauty among ancient humans, as well as the emergence of simple geometric concepts.

　　Xiwang Village in Ruicheng County is an important area of ancient human activity in Shanxi. Not only was the Miaodigou type culture of the middle Yangshao period discovered here, but also the culture of the late Yangshao period. Archaeologists refer to the latter as the Xiwang Village type of Yangshao culture, representing the developmental stage of the late Yangshao culture in the Central Plains region. The Yangshao culture of the Xiwang Village type in Shanxi is mainly distributed along the northern bank of the Yellow River, as well as the Sushui and Fen rivers, and the Lüliang Mountain range, with the Dongguan site in Gucheng Town, Yuanqu County, also being a representative of this type. During this period, above-ground wooden structures appeared, house-building techniques improved significantly, indoor spaces became larger, and compartmentalized layouts emerged. The majority of stone tools among the production implements were polished, drilling techniques were widely adopted, and there was an increase in the variety of bone, horn, shell, and pottery tools, all crafted with finer workmanship—reflecting improvements in productive capacity and technological levels. In May 2013, it was designated as part of the seventh batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council.