Mountainous areas adjacent to Liyang Plain boast stunning ancient culture
2023-01-13
Recently, the 2022 Hunan Archaeological Report Conference was held simultaneously in Changsha and online. Archaeologists in Lixian County reported that remarkable progress has been made in the investigation of cultural relics exposed in the northwest mountainous areas and reservoir area of Lixian County, adjacent to Liyang Plain.
Filling gap in history of human development in mountainous areas of Northwest Lixian County
At the conference, it was introduced that a total of 12 cultural relic sites from the Paleolithic Period to modern times were found in the mountainous areas of Northwest Lixian County.
Among them, the more important are the Eastern Zhou Dynasty site at Gangzuishang and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty Tomb Group at Huangjiashan. The Gangzuishang Eastern Zhou site is widely distributed and well preserved, with red and grey pottery discovered, including jars, stone spinning wheels and bronze fragments. This discovery has filled the gap in the history of human development in the mountainous areas of Northwest Lixian County.
At the conference, it was introduced that a total of 12 cultural relic sites from the Paleolithic Period to modern times were found in the mountainous areas of Northwest Lixian County.
Among them, the more important are the Eastern Zhou Dynasty site at Gangzuishang and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty Tomb Group at Huangjiashan. The Gangzuishang Eastern Zhou site is widely distributed and well preserved, with red and grey pottery discovered, including jars, stone spinning wheels and bronze fragments. This discovery has filled the gap in the history of human development in the mountainous areas of Northwest Lixian County.
The Huangjiashan Eastern Zhou necropolis is 30 kilometers south of the Jiuli Chu Tomb Group and 15 kilometers from the Guchenggang site, which has a unique geographical location whose discovery is of great significance for the study of Chu culture in Lixian County.
In addition, in this investigation, archaeologists in Lixian County also found tombs with high protection and research value, such as the Song Dynasty tombs at Caojiashan in Ganxi Village, and the mural tombs of the couple in the early Ming Dynasty at Wangjiachang. The latter is the first mural tomb found in Lixian County, which provides physical information for the study of funeral customs in the early Ming Dynasty in Northwest Hunan.
In addition, in this investigation, archaeologists in Lixian County also found tombs with high protection and research value, such as the Song Dynasty tombs at Caojiashan in Ganxi Village, and the mural tombs of the couple in the early Ming Dynasty at Wangjiachang. The latter is the first mural tomb found in Lixian County, which provides physical information for the study of funeral customs in the early Ming Dynasty in Northwest Hunan.
Discovery of flint implements in reservoir area
In September 2022, affected by high-temperature and dry weather, the water level of rivers and lakes in Lixian County fell sharply, and a large area of relics were exposed in Taiqing Reservoir, Wangjiachang Reservoir, etc.
In September 2022, affected by high-temperature and dry weather, the water level of rivers and lakes in Lixian County fell sharply, and a large area of relics were exposed in Taiqing Reservoir, Wangjiachang Reservoir, etc.
Local archaeologists found over 10 sites from the Neolithic Period to the Spring and Autumn Period. They also collected a large number of stone tools and pottery specimens, including black flint implements and pottery pieces of various periods.
This is another major archaeological discovery in Lixian County after many blockbuster discoveries on Liyang Plain.
This is another major archaeological discovery in Lixian County after many blockbuster discoveries on Liyang Plain.
“Liyang Plain and its northwest mountainous areas are closely connected, and the mountain valley is the transitional zone. Archaeological work in the western mountainous areas of Liyang Plain is of great significance for investigating the occurrence of the Neolithic Period in Hunan.” Guo Weimin, president of Hunan Archaeological Society, explained it with the keywords of “mountainous areas” and “small flint implements”.
“During the transition from the Paleolithic Period to the Neolithic Period, the people living on Liyang Plain and those living in the mountains to its northwest were probably the same group of people who moved between the plain and the mountains as the seasons changed.”
Guo Weimin said that Hunan archaeologists investigated a number of cave sites in the mountains dating back about 15,000 to 20,000 years, and that archaeological excavations were carried out at sites like Yan’er Cave.
During the same period as Yan’er Cave, there were the sites of Shiligang in the wilderness of the plain. During this period, the climate was cold, and human beings could not yet build houses.
Therefore, caves and rock shelter in the small basins of rivers in the western mountainous region of Li County were the ideal shelter during the cold winter months. Around 15,000 years ago, as the earth entered the glacial period, the climate gradually warmed up and people preferred to live in the plains during the warmer months, which were richer in flora and fauna.
With the deepening understanding of flora and fauna and the improvement of their ability to domesticate them, they settled on Liyang Plain around 10,000 years ago.
“During the transition from the Paleolithic Period to the Neolithic Period, the people living on Liyang Plain and those living in the mountains to its northwest were probably the same group of people who moved between the plain and the mountains as the seasons changed.”
Guo Weimin said that Hunan archaeologists investigated a number of cave sites in the mountains dating back about 15,000 to 20,000 years, and that archaeological excavations were carried out at sites like Yan’er Cave.
During the same period as Yan’er Cave, there were the sites of Shiligang in the wilderness of the plain. During this period, the climate was cold, and human beings could not yet build houses.
Therefore, caves and rock shelter in the small basins of rivers in the western mountainous region of Li County were the ideal shelter during the cold winter months. Around 15,000 years ago, as the earth entered the glacial period, the climate gradually warmed up and people preferred to live in the plains during the warmer months, which were richer in flora and fauna.
With the deepening understanding of flora and fauna and the improvement of their ability to domesticate them, they settled on Liyang Plain around 10,000 years ago.
In addition, Liyang Plain abounds with small flint implements. Small and sharp flint implements were more convenient to process and use than large hand axes and choppers in the early and middle of the Paleolithic Period.
The emergence of small flint implements is associated with the movement of humans from the mountains to the plains, from simple hunting to fishing and hunting.
It is likely that several of the sites located in the reservoir area related to this survey were sites for the processing and production of flint implements. These two important discoveries are significant for exploring how Liyang Plain transitioned from the Palaeolithic Period to the Neolithic Period.
The emergence of small flint implements is associated with the movement of humans from the mountains to the plains, from simple hunting to fishing and hunting.
It is likely that several of the sites located in the reservoir area related to this survey were sites for the processing and production of flint implements. These two important discoveries are significant for exploring how Liyang Plain transitioned from the Palaeolithic Period to the Neolithic Period.
