Mopanshan Site in Langxi, Anhui

On March 31st, the reporter learned at the archaeological base of Mopanshan site in Langxi county, Anhui province that the fourth archaeological excavation of the site has officially commenced on the same day.

The Mopanshan site was first discovered in the 1970s. In 2015, Nanjing University, in collaboration with the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, initiated systematic excavations of the site.

Cultural relics unearthed from the Mopanshan Site in Langxi, Anhui

The total area of the Mopanshan site is approximately 60,000 square meters. Three previous excavations were conducted in 2015, 2016, and 2023. Up to now, archaeologists have excavated a total area of 1,625 square meters in the core area of the site, uncovering 343 tombs and more than 4,000 recoverable artifacts.

The site has revealed a continuous cultural accumulation including the Majiabang Culture, Songze Culture, Liangzhu Culture, Qianshanyang Culture, and the Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou to Spring and Autumn periods. It is a rare central settlement in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River with a long and continuous history of nearly 4,000 years. Recently, the site was selected as one of the top 10 archaeological discoveries in China for 2023.

Archaeological excavation site of Mopanshan Site in Langxi, Anhui

"This year, we will officially launch the fourth archaeological excavation at the Mopanshan site, with an approved excavation area of 600 square meters from the National Cultural Heritage Administration. In addition to the excavation work, we will also carry out some artifact sorting tasks and strive to publicize the existing achievements as soon as possible," said Zhao Dongsheng, Associate Professor at Nanjing University and the leader of the Mopanshan site archaeological excavation project.

Source: anhuinews.com