Stone cocoons found at Shicun Site in Xiaxian County, Shanxi Province, more than 6000 years ago
2023-02-27
In the recently concluded 2022 archaeological excavation site evaluation activity of Shicun Site, Xiaxian County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, Jilin University, Fang Qi, the head of the archaeological excavation project and the deputy dean of the School of Archaeology, Jilin University, introduced that in 2022, the project team excavated two stone cocoons from the early stage of Yangshao culture more than 6000 years ago. Since 2019, the Institute of Archaeology of Jilin University, the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology and the Yuncheng Cultural Relics Protection Center have jointly investigated and excavated the site of Shicun Village, Xiaxian County, Yuncheng City, and have unearthed 6 earth-rock silkworm pupae, 1 earthenware silkworm pupae, and 2 stone silkworm cocoons. Important discoveries such as stone silkworm pupae have aroused widespread concern in relevant fields. "There has been a legend of Lei Zu raising silkworms in Yuncheng since ancient times, and there is also a record of Lei Zu, the imperial concubine of the Yellow Emperor, starting silkworms in the Historical Records." Fang Qi said, "The discovery of stone silkworm cocoons and stone silkworm pupae reveal the important position of silkworm in the production and life of the ancestors in the Yuncheng Basin, the core area of the origin of Chinese civilization, more than 6000 years ago. This provides an important clue to the study of the origin of ancient Chinese silkworm rearing and silk reeling technology." In the evaluation activities, the team also showed another discovery: since 2019, many "stone balls" have been found in the archaeological excavations of the Shicun site, It is preliminarily determined that it is a projectile made and used by the ancestors during hunting. "In 2022, we also found many small 'stone balls' in the shape of Mantou, which are very similar to silkworm eggs. We analyzed that these' stone balls' in the shape of silkworm eggs were probably made by people who were interested in and respected the life of silkworms, and intended to process them." In combination with the key findings of stone carved silkworm pupae, stone cocoons, "stone ball" silkworm eggs, etc, As well as the main excavation results and unearthed relics of the site in 2022, Fang Qi made assumptions about the nature and function of the settlement of the Shicun site. Fang Qi believes that in the four years since the start of the excavation of the Shicun site, the teachers and students of Jida University have excavated a total area of more than 6000 square meters. The residential and living facilities such as the house site and ash pit, as well as the production and living appliances such as agricultural implements and cooking utensils, are not sufficient compared with the excavation scale, and the traces of the ancestors' diet and other living activities are not rich enough. It is likely that it is not a traditional living settlement, but a large living settlement next to it, Primitive handicraft workshop area specialized in sericulture and silk reeling. After the Spring Festival this year, the archaeologists of the project team have completed the cultural relics collection, surface inspection and related exploration work at the Yuancun site around the Shicun site, and determined the work focus and scope of archaeological excavation in 2023. "Is the Yuancun Site, which covers an area of 1.8 million square meters, a large living settlement next to the Shicun Site? Is there a division of labor between the two settlements, or even trade?" Fang Qi is full of expectations for the archaeological excavation in the new year. The reporter also learned from Jilin University that in 2022, the teachers and students of Jilin University excavated 6 house sites, more than 600 ash pits, 3 ash ditches, 2 ash heaps, 10 tombs, 8 urn coffins, 3 kiln sites, and more than 20 column holes at the Shicun site. In addition to a large number of rope grey pottery, clay grey pottery and painted pottery fragments, there are more than 40 complete or recoverable pottery and porcelain. this
Edit：qihang Responsible editor：xinglan
Source：GMW.cn
Special statement: if the pictures and texts reproduced or quoted on this site infringe your legitimate rights and interests, please contact this site, and this site will correct and delete them in time. For copyright issues and website cooperation, please contact through outlook new era email：lwxsd@liaowanghn.com
Recommended Reading Change it 
Home
