Under the warm winter sun, the archaeological site of the Rock Cottage site is working. The workers in the pit carefully cleaned the floating soil on the ground with shovels until the newly excavated ground was as smooth as new and could see the different colored plots on the ground. They are carrying out the process of "scraping the face", and judging the phenomenon of the ruins by scraping the surface is one of the daily tasks of the rock cottage archaeological team.
With the expansion and deepening of excavations, the rich cultural relics of YanshanZhai have gradually been exposed to the archaeological team. Photo by Zeng Liangchao
Archaeologists are carrying out the "scraping" process, and judging the phenomenon of the ruins by scraping the surface is one of the daily tasks of the rock cottage archaeological team. Photo by Zeng Liangchao
Recently, the Important Progress Work Meeting of the "Archaeology China" Major Project of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage was held online, and 5 important archaeological achievements were announced, and the Yingde Rock Cottage Site Project hosted by the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology was among them. This archaeological work fills the gap in the archaeology of settlements at the origin stage of civilization in Lingnan and will open a new chapter in the study of prehistoric culture and society in Lingnan.
After two years of excavation, the rock cottage site has unearthed many cultural relics from the late Neolithic period. Photo by Sun Yunbing
"Yingde is in the transition zone between northern Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta, and this relic is in the late Neolithic period, in the origin stage of civilization, we feel that it has great scientific research potential and academic value, so we carry out topical archaeological excavation work here." Liu Suoqiang, director of the Field Archaeology Center of the Guangdong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, said. He admits that the discovery process of the Neolithic age is a "windfall", but with the expansion and deepening of the investigation, the rich cultural relics of the rock cottage are gradually revealed in front of the archaeological team.
In the pit of the rock cottage site, archaeologists armed with hand shovels are meticulously cleaning up the floating soil on the ground. Photo by Zeng Liangchao
Since 2019, the Guangdong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has joined hands with a number of units to continue to carry out active archaeological work, excavating nearly 1,400 square meters in three locations such as Shiling, Wangbei Rock and Rock Back, cleaning up important relics such as tombs, ash pits, pillar holes, and burning earth ruins, and unearthing more than 1,300 specimens of various cultural relics such as pottery, grinding stone tools, jade, bronze, human bones and wooden remains, and the on-site archaeological excavation work is still in full swing.
According to reports, the Yanshanzhai site is the largest Neolithic to Xia Shang period central settlement site found in Lingnan so far. The cave in the picture provides an important clue to the discovery of the rock cottage site. Photo by Zeng Liangchao
At the archaeological excavation site, the pottery spinning wheel buried in the ground for thousands of years has been brought to light. Photo by Zeng Liangchao
According to reports, the Yanshanzhai site is the largest Neolithic to Xia Shang period central settlement site found in Lingnan so far, and its archaeological results provide new materials for in-depth study of the morphological evolution of pre-Qin settlements in Lingnan, the process of early social civilization and Sinicization, the early population interaction and cultural exchanges in the Ring Nanling Belt and surrounding areas, and the early spread of rice farming, further revealing Lingnan's contribution to the formation of a pluralistic and integrated Chinese civilization.
In the next step, the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology will work with the Chinese Cultural Heritage Research Institute and the Yingde Municipal Government to plan to build an archaeological site park and strive to revitalize the Yanshanzhai site.
【Appearance/Writing】Sun Yunbing
【Photography/Videography】Zeng Liangchao
【Editing】 Liang Jie
【Poster】Zhang Mingran
【Co-ordination】Jiao Ying
【Planner】Zhang Jinbiao Wei Jinfeng
【Author】 Zeng Liangchao; Wei Jinfeng; Zhang Jinbiao; Jiao Ying
【Source】 Southern Press Media Group South + client