The Pishan Site, located in Pishan village, Wuxing district, Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/hz66.com]

Two sites in Huzhou have recently been listed among the top 10 important archaeological discoveries in Zhejiang in 2023, as announced by the Zhejiang Provincial Archaeology Society on Jan 21.

One of the honored sites from the city is the Pishan Site, located in Pishan village, Wuxing district, covering nearly 1 million square meters. The primary historical periods represented at the site are the late Neolithic period, as well as the Xia (c. 21st century-16th century BC) and Shang (c.16th century-11th century BC) dynasties.

During the late Shang period, the Pishan Site had a settlement area of over 900,000 square meters, establishing it as a central settlement in the Taihu Lake Basin. The new discoveries at this site have significantly contributed to further refining of the cultural sequencing of pre-Qin (before 221 BC) archaeology in the Taihu Lake region. In addition, these findings offer crucial insights for exploring the social development, cultural exchange, and the origins of the Wu and Yue cultures during the early Bronze Age in this region.

The other honored site from the city is the cemetery cluster located on the northern slope of Niutou Mountain in Qinglong village, Anji county. The excavation area covers 2,000 square meters and has revealed 51 tombs and one kiln site dating from the Western Zhou (c.11th century-771BC) to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Over 300 artifacts, including items made of iron, copper, pottery, and porcelain, have been unearthed at this site.