Xihoudou Site

　　Era: Paleolithic Age

　　Location: Near Xihoudou Village, Fenglingdu Town, Ruicheng County

　　In 1961 and 1962, the Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Work Committee conducted two excavations here, uncovering stone artifacts, burnt bones, deer antlers with cut marks, and animal fossils. The site dates back to the Early Pleistocene. Based on preliminary paleomagnetic dating, it is estimated to be around 1.8 million years old, making it one of the earliest known Paleolithic remains in China.

　　The Xihoudou Site is located on the left bank of the middle reaches of the Yellow River, on an ancient terrace about 170 meters above the river level. Cultural relics and animal fossils are concentrated within an approximately 1-meter-thick layer of interbedded sand. The animal fossils mainly include 22 species of mammals, such as giant beavers, saber-toothed tigers, flat-skulled elephants, and steppe antelopes. Most of the mammals were grassland animals, though some were adapted to both grassland and forest environments.

　　A total of 32 stone artifacts were found at the site, including stone cores, flakes, and processed tools. The materials used for the stone tools were primarily quartzite. Burnt animal fossils and deer antlers showing signs of artificial chopping or scraping were also discovered, significantly pushing back the timeline of human use of fire.