Ancient Cultural Sites Cluster

　　Located within Ruicheng County. This area is rich in ancient cultural sites and is one of the most significant for studying the early Pleistocene, Paleolithic, and late Longshan cultural periods of China's Yellow River basin. Excavations began here in the 1930s. Within the 13.5-kilometer Shixi River site area alone, 11 stone tool locations have been unearthed. Among the dozens of ancient biological fossils discovered, 53% are extinct species, and 100% are extinct animals.

　　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 and Longshan cultures. The site features house foundations, kiln pits, ash pits, and tombs. The region has clear geological stratification, distinct layers, and intact profiles. The stratigraphic division from over 10 million years ago in the early Pleistocene to modern times is highly precise. The cultural content spans an extremely rich range, including

　　burnt bone ash layers and sites from the same period as the Lantian Ape Man era 1.8 million years ago, to various periods such as the Miaodigou phases I and II of the Yangshao culture and the Sanliqiao type of the Longshan culture.