The History and Culture of Dahecun Site in Zhengzhou

Dahecun site was found in 1964. It is a large-scale ancient settlement heritage including Yangshao culture, Longshan culture and Xia Shang culture, covering an area of 400,000 square meters, from 6800 to 3500 years ago. The middle part of the site is the residential area of Yangshao ancestors, with overlapping houses and dense potholes: two clan cemeteries in the late Yangshao culture are located in the northeast and west of the site respectively. Longshan cultural remains are mainly distributed around the site, and the remains in Xia and Shang dynasties are mainly concentrated in the southwest side of the site. Among them, Yangshao cultural remains are the most abundant, and the thickest cultural layer reaches 12.5 meters. During the period of 1972- 1987, it was excavated twice1time. A total of 47 houses, 297 caves and 354 tombs were unearthed, and more than 3,500 precious cultural relics were unearthed. The F 1-4 wooden-bone plastic pottery house unearthed in this site is the most well-preserved house unearthed in China at the same time. During excavation, the residual height of the north wall of the foundation of building 1 was nearly 1 m. According to carbon 14, it was 5040 100 years ago. It is a group of terraced houses with two slopes, and its appearance has laid the basic form of traditional residential buildings in northern China. A large number of exquisite painted pottery have been unearthed in the site, with colorful and rich patterns, which is unique in Yangshao culture. Double-pot painted pottery has a unique shape and is known as the most beautiful painted pottery in prehistoric China. The astronomical patterns such as sun pattern, solar halo pattern and constellation pattern in painted pottery are the earliest known astronomical materials in China. In addition, the relics of Dawenkou culture in Shandong Province and Qujialing culture in Hubei Province were unearthed in the site.

The excavation shows that the ancestors lived here for more than 3300 years, and experienced the flourishing stage of matriarchal clan in primitive society, paternal clan in slave society and Xia and Shang dynasties. Dahecun site is a historical microcosm of the development of ancient culture in Zhengzhou area.

Dahecun site is rare in other ancient sites in the Central Plains because of its large area, rich remains, long duration and extensive cultural content. The discovery and excavation of Dahecun site provides important physical data and conclusive stratigraphic evidence for studying the long historical process from primitive clan society to slave society, and also provides a scale for discussing the development order, stages and types of Yangshao culture in the Central Plains, and also provides a basis for studying the relationship between the Central Plains and the primitive culture in the lower Yellow River and Jianghan Basin. 1986, Dahecun site was announced by Henan Provincial People's Government as a provincial key cultural relics protection unit. In 200 1 year, Dahecun site was announced by the State Council as the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

In order to protect the outstanding historical heritage of the motherland and promote the national culture, on the basis of 1985 archaeological excavation, the Dahecun site protection and management office in Zhengzhou City was established to be responsible for the protection and management of the site. At the beginning of 1986, the simulation village and the cultural relics showroom were built one after another, and the "Dahe Village Relics Exhibition" was arranged, which was officially opened to the public in May. During the period of 1989, Dahe Village Site Protection Center was officially renamed as "Dahe Village Site Museum in Zhengzhou City", which belongs to Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture.

In recent years, Dahecun site has been named as "Zhengzhou Moral Education Base for Primary and Secondary Schools", "Zhengzhou Youth Ideological Education Base", "Zhengzhou Publicity Base", "Zhengzhou Patriotism Education Base" and "Henan Excellent Patriotism Education Base" successively, and it has also been identified as three important cultural relics of the national tourist route "The Yellow River Tour-the Soul of the Chinese Nation" and the provincial tourist route by the tourism department.