Compiled by Anhui Provincial Institute of Archaeology, Bengbu Municipal Museun

 

 

       The site reported here is located on a terrace to Shuangdun village, in the middle section along the Huai River, and covers a total area of around 12,000 square meters. The site was first identified in 1985, 4 kilometers south of the Huai River. The three excavation seasons separately during 1986, 1991 and 1992 exposed 375 square meters of the southeastern portion of the site. The excavations suggest that the major feature found there was a relatively huge ditch, which is primarily filled with soil and refuse assemblages formed during its use and later periods after its abandonment. It is later characterized as a large refuse pit of the local people. The pit is 40 meters wide from east to west, 2.5 meters deep and sloping layers have been discovered. Other occasionally identified features only include five round or oval – shaped ash – pits.

       Artifacts include large numbers of potsherds, stone fragments, and small tools made of animal bones, horns and mussel shells. Ceramic finds are mostly shell – tempered brownish – red pottery and charcoal – tempered slipped pottery with exterior in red and interior in black.

       Also found are black pottery tampered with charcoal and talc powder. Small numbers of fine red pottery have also been identified. Surface treatments include punctuations, awl – pricked patterns, appliqué s, incisions, carved and pressed patterns, openwork, nailed cor, and red slips. All of the pottery vessels are hand - made. Components of the vessels are first separately made by hand, and fused together. Pottery finds can be divided into two types, i. e., life tools and figurines of high artistic value.

       Eating vessels include cauldrons (fu), steamers (yan), supports, stove frames, and tripods (ding). Fu vessels can be divided into types, i. e., jar – shaped and bowl – shaped. Typical characters of these vessels are wide mouth, flat bottoms, and four symmetrically positioned tabs in cockscomb shape for holding. Steamers vary in shape, but commonly they have wide mouths, small flat bottoms, and grates are widely found. Both cylindrical and penis – shaped supports have been found. Most of the ding vessels have small flat bottoms and pointed legs, difference lies only in that some bellies are curved in shape, while others are bulbous.

       Other vessels discovered in significant numbers include jars, bowls, basins, and stem bowls (dou). Jars with small mouths are usually bulbous in shape with symmetrically placed lugs on the shoulders. Lugs are often bird or bull nose shaped, and some are just crudely made with short clay slabs. Bowls have either inverted or everted mouth rims, truncated ring – shaped or flat pancake – shaped bases. Only a small number of bowls are purely black in color, while most are red slipped outside and black inside. Over six hundred symbols have been found inscribed in the bases. Typical surface treatments on rounded bowls (bo) include cockscomb – shaped tabs and nail – shaped d cor. Single lugs or tab – shaped symmetrically attached handles are also widely found. Dou vessels are usually red slipped outside and black inside. Upper bowls are frequently wide and shallow; stems are trumpet – shaped and usually made together with the lower bases. Some have openwork d cor.

       Supports, bases, lids, water pots and spouted vessels have also been found. Supports and bases are frequently associated with eating or drinking vessels. Supports are mostly ring – shaped with three upward intruding ends attached around the edge of opening. Bases are usually cylindrical in shape; some have two or four perforated holes on the walls. Lids are usually fragmented and appear bowl shaped; some are fairly large in shape and have wide knobs and side tabs. Knobs are sometimes mushroom shaped or take the form of two or three triangular – shaped appliqué s. Spouts are usually severely damaged, only a square spout can be restored. Pottery tools include spindle whorls, files, and round pancake – shaped tools with unknown use, usually uneven in thickness.

       Fishing tools include net sinkers and devices for throwing fishing spears. Net sinkers vary a lot in size, with surface carved with grooves for tying. They also have perforated holes for filling. Spear emitters are usually hand – made and take the form of fruit pit. Pottery figurines include human faces and animals. Amidst these, the most lively made is the face image of a child, a finely shaped sample, which provides significant culture and folk customs of the people living in the Huai River valley.

       Stone tools include axes, adzes, scrapers, graters, choppers, balls, wheels and round – shaped objects. Axes, adzes and round cake – shaped tools are usually finely grinded; choppers and spheroid tools are mostly formed by knapping; grooves and negative scars are frequently seen on graters; stone wheels have holes for filling. Lithic tools seem to have been formed preferably by knapping and surface crude working, finely grinded samples are rare.

       Bone artifacts are preferably made of animal bones and deer horns. Tools and body adornments are both commonly seen. Stella examples include bone needles and tools made of deer horns. Other typical ones include awls, arrowheads, fishhooks, hairpins, and ladles. Bone plaques are probably used as body adornments. Shell tools include large numbers of scrappers, knives, and finely produced saws, daggers, and spindle whorls. Shell edges are usually used as cutting edges.

       The over six hundred inscribed symbols defined by thin lines on pottery vessels and fragments are frequently found in the ring bases of bowls and stem bowls, and occasionally at other areas on other vessels. Radiating effects defined by two to four thin lines on the exterior are often found associated with those symbols. Apart from incision, symbols are also defined by raised lines. Symbols are usually inscribed before firing, with only a few exceptions. Symbols sometimes represent animals and plants, such as pigs, fish, deer, silkworms, cocoons, plants, leave nervations, flower petals, and grasses; geometric and other simulations are also seen. Geometric patterns include those imitating numbers, triangles, squares, crosses, semi – frames, arcs, hooks, prongs and so forth; other significant symbols are usually incomplete in shape, and meanings are unknown. The shuangdun system comprises single, double and multiple inscribed individual symbols. Animal bones are quite numerous. Excavations find 12382 pieces of bones. Large numbers of bones of snails, fish, tortoise, crocodiles have been identified. Totally more than fifty species of animals have been found, such as bulls, deer, and pigs. Solid evidence for rice cultivation has been found; and this has been identified as the most significant form of local subsistence. Hunting, fishing and pig – raising are also significant at that time. Dating result has been published by the Institute of Archaeology of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The site has been dated o 7300 to 7100 BCE. The Shuangdun site has been considered a very significant discovery in the Huai Rive valley.