Site of Shifodong

Site of Shifodong

Shifo cave is a Neolithic cultural site, which is formed by the natural movement of the earth's crust. It is the largest cave site in Yunnan Province and belongs to the national cultural relics protection unit.

Shifo cave site, located in Gengma County, 25 kilometers south of the Xiaohei river. In 1983, the site of Shifo cave was excavated, with a thickness of 3.2-3.5 meters. Five layers of living surface and one elliptical and one rectangular house were exposed. The unearthed relics include stone tools, bone ware, pottery, rice, etc. Archaeological excavation was carried out from June to August 2003, covering an area of 750 square meters.

In 1996, the State Council distributed it as the fourth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

geographical position

Shifo cave site, located in Gengma County, 25 kilometers south of the Xiaohei river. The cave is more than 20 meters high, 50 meters wide, 80 meters wide, 30 meters high and 100 meters deep

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As early as 3000 years ago, the owner of the Shifo cave site was able to cultivate cattle, grow rice and burn pottery. The stone tools, pottery colors and shapes were exquisite, creating the most advanced Neolithic culture in Southwest China.

Trial excavation stage

In 1983, a trial excavation was carried out. The cultural accumulation is 3.2-3.5 meters thick. The remains of five floors of residential area and one oval and one rectangular house were exposed. The unearthed relics include stone tools, bone ware, pottery, rice and so on. The stone tools are all made by grinding, and the "stick head" shaped like a gear is extremely rare. Among the pottery, the single ear jar, the folding shoulder jar and the round bottom are the only Neolithic Remains in Yunnan.

Archaeological excavation was carried out from June to August 2003, covering an area of 750 square meters.

archaeological discovery

From the archaeological findings. As early as 3000 years ago, the owner of the Shifo cave site was able to cultivate cattle, grow rice and burn pottery. The stone tools, pottery colors and shapes were exquisite, creating the most advanced Neolithic culture in Southwest China.

There are 14 layers of cultural deposits in the site, 12 of which are Neolithic in age. The thickness of cultural deposits ranges from 1 meter to 3 meters, most of which are more than 2 meters. There are 9 confirmed houses, generally rectangular, with an area of about 20-30 square meters. At the same time, a single tomb was found, with its bones in the shape of lateral curved limbs; a regular round ash pit was used as a pit; and a stove pit was found.

House ruins

Although the remains are relatively simple, the construction of houses in caves is rare in China and the world. There are many kinds of relics unearthed from the Shifo cave site, including stone tools, pottery, bone ware, animal bones, carbonized rice, stone, seeds and human remains, with a total number of more than 2000. The processing and grinding of stone tools are very exquisite. Symmetry, regularity, smoothness and sharpness are the basic characteristics of these stone tools. In addition to duoling six star shaped tools, six star Bi and double winged spear all have very high processing level, which indicates that the level of stone industry at that time was very high, and the technology of processing complex and symmetrical stone tools with high difficulty was available.

Unearthed pottery

There are various kinds of pottery, unique shapes and exquisite decorative patterns, among which the polished folding shoulder cauldron is the most representative. The folding shoulder cauldron with continuous vortex pattern decoration is an original work of art with high ornamental value. Several exquisite pieces of bone ware, such as bone dagger, big fish hook and small fish hook, were also unearthed, all of which were processed delicately and accurately.

The stone Buddha cave site is the direct evidence of the developed prehistoric civilization created by the ancestors of the Chinese nation in the Lancang River Basin 3000 years ago. It is a very precious historical and cultural heritage. A large amount of information is obtained from the excavation, which comprehensively shows the face of human production and life in the late Neolithic Age in this area. It is of great significance to construct the cultural face of Yunnan Neolithic age and to study the early cultural exchanges between China and Southeast Asian countries.

tourist guide

General situation of Shifo cave site: just like other scenic spots, the scenery of spring, summer, autumn and winter has its own charm. Only when you are on the spot can you enjoy the picturesque beauty of the landscape. If you are following the tour group, the guide will explain the human geography of the Shifo cave site to the tourists; if you are self-help tour, you must refer to the Shifo cave site, and you must go to the scenic spots.

It's necessary to travel with friends and relatives, and use the camera to record the happy mood of Shifo cave ruins.

Address: on the Bank of Xiaohei River, 25 kilometers south of Gengma County, Lincang City

Longitude: 99.453575134277

Latitude: 23.364677429199

Chinese PinYin : Shi Fo Dong Yi Zhi