On March 22, 2024, the National Cultural Heritage Administration officially announced the "Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries of China in 2023." The archaeological project "Langxi Mopan Mountain Site in Anhui Province," led by Zhao Dongsheng, an Associated Professor from School of History in NJU, was successfully selected.

The Langxi Mopan Mountain Site in Anhui Province is located on the eastern shore of Nanxun Lake, the largest lake in southeast Anhui. The Langxi River, flowing around the site, connects the Yangtze River and the Taihu Lake, and serves as an important channel for ancient cultural exchanges. The site was in continuous use for nearly 4000 years, with 330 excavated tombs dating back to 6200-5200 years ago. It was a typical example for studying the civilization pattern in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The site was discovered in the 1970s during the excavation of the New Langxi River. Nanjing University and the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted joint excavations in 2015 and 2016. It was part of  the project "Archaeology of China: Study on the Civilization Pattern in the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River" by the National Cultural Heritage Administration. The third excavation was carried out in 2023.

Site location map

The excavation area in 2023

This selection was organized by the China Cultural Heritage Newspaper and the Institute of Archaeology, CASS, and all selected projects are outstanding representatives of archaeological work in 2023. NJU's Department of Archaeology and Cultural Relics has a profound academic tradition, with faculty and students actively participating in field research, archaeological excavations, and artifact organization work. 

Writer: Nie Xiaoran

Editor: Shao Yihang