Orthophoto image of the south outer ring trench section
M28 artifacts
M12 excavated artifact combination
Kong Weipeng's report from the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology is entitled "2021 Anyang Taojia Ying Shang Dynasty Settlement Site". Taojiaying site is located in the north of Taojiaying Village, Baizhuang Town, Beiguan District, Anyang City, the preliminary exploration found that the site plan is rectangular, about 560 meters from east to west, about 330 meters long from north to south, with a total area of about 185,000 square meters. The excavation area is located in the southwest of the site, with a total of 21 exploration parties and an area of about 2,050 square meters. Ash pits, tombs, trenches, pottery kilns, rammed earth foundation sites, wells and other relics were cleaned up, and a total of about 172 pieces of bronze, pottery, jade, bone, mussel, shell and other utensils were unearthed. The Ruins of Taojiaying are contemporaneous with Huanbei Shangcheng, which is considered to be the capital of the middle Shang Dynasty in the south, and there are remnants of inner and outer double ring trenches, tombs, ash pits, pottery kilns, cellars, rammed earth foundation sites, etc., which are preliminarily judged to be a high-specification settlement site with defensive properties. From the perspective of the sequence of cultural development, the upper culture of Erligang is closely related to the culture of the Baijiazhuang period. The excavated cultural relics show that they have a mutual influence with the culture of the northern grasslands and Shandong and other places at the same time, and open up the glorious Yin Ruins culture downwards. The discovery of the Taojiaying site has further enriched and perfected the cultural sequence of the early, middle and late Shang Dynasties, and has important archaeological value.
[The report was published at the "2021 Henan Archaeological Work Achievements Exchange Meeting" held in Nanyang, Henan on the afternoon of December 17, 2021]
Extended Materials:
There are major archaeological discoveries in Anyang Huanbei Shangcheng
The ruins of Taojiaying are satellite cities in the middle of the Shang Dynasty
Henan Daily client reporter Yang Zhitian
On December 17, the reporter learned from the Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology that after nearly 9 months of archaeological excavations, there have been major discoveries in the archaeology of Huanbei Shangcheng, and the Taojiaying site is speculated to be an important satellite city in the same period in the north of Huanbei Shangcheng due to its large scope, dense distribution of ruins and rich cultural connotations.
The Taojiaying ruins are located in the northeast of Anyang City, 7.2 kilometers away from the ruins of The Yin Ruins Palace in Anyang. Rescue archaeological excavations at the site began in April this year. Exploration found that the taojiaying site is rectangular in plan, about 560 meters from east to west, about 330 meters from north to south, and has a total area of about 185,000 square meters.
"Satellite City is a small city with defensive functions on the outskirts of the main city." Kong Deming, director of the Anyang Institute of Archaeology, introduced that judging from the stratigraphic relationship and the shape of the excavated artifacts, the site and the Huanbei Shangcheng are the same as a very small number of known ring trench settlement sites in the middle of the Shang Dynasty, and there are remains of ring trenches, tombs, ash pits, pottery kilns, cellars, rammed earth foundation sites, etc., which is a high-specification settlement site with defensive properties. "In the eastern part of the Taojiaying site, archaeologists found a ring trench about 330 meters long from north to south and about 300 meters wide from east to west, indicating that the site is defensive." Kong Deming said.
At present, archaeologists have cleaned up 27 tombs in the middle of the Shang Dynasty, and unearthed 172 pieces of various artifacts, including more than 70 bronzes, including ceremonial tools, weapons, tools, etc.
"These bronzes are exquisitely shaped and distinctive, and can be seen to be integrated with the cultures of the northern grasslands and Shandong and other places in the same period, which greatly enriches and perfects the missing links of bronze culture between the early and late Shang Dynasties." Kong Deming said.
It is understood that in addition to bronze ware, the Taojiaying site has also unearthed a large number of pottery, jade tools, turquoise, bone ware, mussels and so on. Of the 27 tombs excavated in the middle of the Shang Dynasty, except for 2 small sacrificial pits, the rest are located on the northwest side of the south trench, and are distributed in two rows from north to south and in rows from east to west, which is very regular.
To the north of the burial area, there is a production and living area, where remains of pottery kilns, rammed earth foundation sites, wells, ash pits and so on have been found. "The discovery of the site further enriches and perfects the cultural sequence of the early, middle and late Shang Dynasties, and has important archaeological value." Kong Deming said.
In addition, the archaeology of Huanbei Shangcheng has found a large number of bone-making and pottery workshop remains and relics, filling the gap in the Mid-Shang Dynasty Ducheng Hand Industrial Park and highlighting the superb and unique pottery-making technology.
From the ruins of Yin Ruins and Huanbei Shangcheng, to the copper casting sites of the late Xindian Shang Dynasty, and then to the newly discovered Taojiaying sites, with the continuous advancement of archaeological work, the scope of the "Dayi Shang" recorded in the oracle bones has been expanding, and the appearance has become clearer.