Yushan Site is located in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, only 7.3 kilometers east to the coastline, and with an area of about 16,500 square meters. In order to cooperate with the infrastructure, archaeologists planned to conduct two stages rescue excavation, with an area of about 4,300 square meters. 

 

From December 2013 to May 2014, approved by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, Ningbo Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Jilin University, National Museum of China, Zhenhai District Management Office of the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, jointly conducted Stage I excavation to the southwestern edge of Yushan Site, with an area of 1500 square meters. The depth of cultural stratigraphic of Yushan Site is about 2 to 2.5 meters. The site can be divided into 9 layers, which are of four different periods respectively, from the earliest to the latest: The Early-to-Mid Hemudu Culture Period, The Late Hemudu Culture Period, Western and Eastern Zhou Period, Tang and Song Period. Altogether, 44 units of cultural remains were found in this excavation, thereinto, 1 ash pit from the Late Hemudu Culture Period, 4 ash ditches and 36 ash pits from the Western and Eastern Zhou Period, 1 well and 2 ponds from Tang and Song Period. In total, about 200 samples of unearthed relics were found, including pottery, porcelain, bronze-ware, stone-ware, bone-ware, wood-ware, and etc. Among them, the number of pottery is the largest, including clay mixed with charcoal, clay mixed with sand, fine clay, impressed hard ware and etc. The second largest number is of porcelain, including proto-porcelain and celadon, and the numbers of the rest materials are small. Also numerous fish bones, antlers, tree roots and other animals and plants remains were found. 

remains of tree root

 

The cultural layers of the Early-to-Mid Hemudu Culture Period is thin, and among all the unearthed relics, the number of pottery is the largest, basically are black pottery mixed with sand or mixed with charcoal, and few can be restored. The recognizable shapes of the vessels are mainly Fu cauldron, jar, basin, Bo-bowl, vessel stand and etc. Most of them are plain, only few have cord pattern, bow string pattern, clam teeth shaped pattern, ripple pattern, nail pattern and etc. The rest of the relics are stone adzes, bone awls, bone tubes, wood awls, wood chisels, wood components and etc. 

  

Only 1 ash pit was unearthed among the remains of the Late Hemudu Culture Period, and the unearthed relics are mainly pottery, with a large number of red clay pottery and gray clay pottery mixed with sand, and a small number of gray clay pottery, red clay pottery mixed with sand and polished black pottery. The shapes of the vessels are mainly Ding tripods, Fu cauldrons, jar, basin, Dou vessels, vessel seats and etc. Few vessels have cord pattern, bow string pattern, ripple pattern, diamond lattice pattern or whorl pattern, and on the ears of some vessels were carved or engraved with human mask and pig mask designs. 

unearthed stone axe

 

The cultural layer of the Western and Eastern Zhou Period is thick. Abundant remains were found, including 4 ash ditches and 36 ash pits. Many relics were unearthed, with a large number of impressed hard pottery and proto-porcelain, a small number of soft clay pottery and pottery mixed with sand. The recognizable shapes of the impressed hard pottery are mainly jug, jar, bowl, Dou steamer, Bo bowl and etc., and most vessels were impressed with one or more than one patterns. The recognizable shapes of the proto-porcelain are mainly Dou steamer, bowl, Bo bowl, Yu vessle, vessel lids and etc., and most vessels were impressed with bow string pattern, ripple pattern, grid point pattern and “S” shape pattern. Besides, few bronze tools and weapons were unearthed, such as, arrowheads, axes, and etc. 

unearthed pottery pot


unearthed pottery fu cauldron

 

1 well and 2 ponds were found among the remains of the Tang and Song Period. Most of the unearthed relics are celadon, and few of them are completed and restorable. The recognizable shapes are mainly bowl, Bo bowl, plate, box, Yu vessel, vessel lids and etc. 

unearthed procelain dou container

 

Yushan Site is the nearest Hemudu Culture Site to the coastline found so far. The discovery and excavation provides not only the material evidence for studying the framework of time and space of the Hemudu Culture, but also important data for investigating the archaeological and cultural transitions from the prehistoric times to the Western and Eastern Zhou Period in Ningbo.  (Translator: Wang Jue)