Kayo cultural site

Kayo cultural site

Cayo culture was first discovered in Cayo village, Huangzhong County, Qinghai Province in 1923. Kayo is Tibetan, which means the plain in front of the pass. Kayo culture is an indigenous culture with the largest number and widest distribution among various ancient cultural sites in Qinghai Province. It is distributed in the vast area from the Yellow River and Huangshui River at the junction of Gansu and Qinghai in the East, around Qinghai Lake in the west, at the foot of Qilian Mountain in the north, and to the north of Animaqing mountain in the south. The Xining Basin in the middle reaches of the Huangshui River is the center of its distribution.

Brief introduction of the site

About cultural sites, in 1923 ad in Huangzhong County yunguchuan Cayo village and xiaxihe village found.

"Kayo" is a Tibetan place name, which means the flat land in front of the mountain pass. In the past, it was listed in the "Siwa culture" system. After 1949, archaeologists separated it from Siwa culture and named it "kayao culture" (formerly known as kayao Culture). The reason is that Siwa culture and kayao culture have their own regional distribution and cultural characteristics in terms of geographical distribution and cultural connotation.

Kayo culture is mainly distributed in the upper reaches of the Yellow River and its tributary Huangshui River Basin in Qinghai Province, involving more than 10 counties and cities, such as Minhe, Ledu, Ping'an, Xining, Huzhu, Datong, Haiyan, Gangcha, Tongren, Huangzhong, etc., with a wide range of distribution. More than 200 sites or cemeteries have been found, and more than 1000 tombs have been excavated.

The origin of the name

In the past, it was listed in the "Siwa culture" system. After 1949, archaeologists separated it from Siwa culture and named it "kayao culture" (formerly known as kayao Culture). The reason is that Siwa culture and kayao culture have their own regional distribution and cultural characteristics in terms of geographical distribution and cultural connotation.

Kayo culture is mainly distributed in the upper reaches of the Yellow River and its tributary Huangshui River Basin in Qinghai Province, involving more than 10 counties and cities, including Minhe, Ledu, Ping'an, Xining, Huzhu, Datong, Haiyan, Gangcha, Tongren, Guinan, Hualong, Xunhua, guide, Jianzha, Huangzhong and Gonghe. More than 200 sites have been found and more than 1000 tombs have been excavated, The unearthed cultural relics are very rich.

Cayo culture

In the kayo culture, the living sites and tombs of the ancestors have been excavated in recent years. No less than 2000 tombs have been excavated. Besides various daily utensils and pottery, the unearthed cultural relics include a large number of stone knives, axes, arrowheads, mortars, pestles and hammers, bone arrowheads, shovels and cones, and copper knives, axes, chisels, sickles and arrowheads. Grain (millet and wheat) and more bones of cattle, sheep, horses and dogs were also found. According to these cultural relics, we can make some analysis and Research on people's production and living conditions at that time, and draw a general outline: at that time, people generally lived an economic life dominated by settled agriculture, animal husbandry accounted for a large proportion, and hunting and gathering activities were also an important supplement to the source of life. Of course, the composition of such economic life will not be exactly the same in such a vast area which is quite different from the natural conditions. In some loess valley areas suitable for agricultural production, the proportion of agricultural production will naturally be larger; in some places with luxuriant trees and abundant water and grass, the elements of animal husbandry and hunting economy will occupy a dominant position, and even the form of nomadic economy will exist. These situations are often reflected in tombs. For example, among the three common pottery, one is for grain, one for meat and one for water. This phenomenon shows that people at that time, out of primitive religious belief, believed that the dead lived in another world and continued to need these necessities. At the same time, it also reflects that agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting products were people's sources of life. For another example, four dog paws or a dog head were found around four ox hoof bones and one tail bone. Intuitively, does this mean that the dog is guarding the herd faithfully? Further think, how close is the relationship between animal husbandry and tomb owner's life!

In male tombs, bronze knives, axes, swords, spears, and stones, bones, copper arrows and arrow sheaths are usually buried, while in female tombs, bone needles, bone tubes (needle tubes), bone and stone spinning wheels are common. This phenomenon shows that men and women are different in gender, so the burial objects are different. It also reflects that there was a clear social division of labor between men and women at that time, that is, women were mainly engaged in agriculture and housework, while men were mainly responsible for animal husbandry, hunting and tribal defense activities.

Although stone tools are still widely used, kayo culture has entered the bronze age. According to the determination of radiocarbon 14, the kayo culture is about 3000 years ago, which is equivalent to the Western Zhou Dynasty in the Central Plains of China.

According to the literature, the ancient residents living in Hehuang area around 1000 BC can only be Qiang people. The distribution of kayo culture clearly tells us that it is the cultural heritage of the ancient Qiang people. In the process of the development of ancient Chinese culture, the culture of the Central Plains once had a great influence on the surrounding areas. At the same time, various cultures of the surrounding areas also had an important influence on the culture of the Central Plains, and so did kayo culture. In the bronze age, the Qiang nationality participated in important political and military actions for many times, and also played an important role in the later historical period.

Contemporary sites

1. Sigoukou site 1: located in Hebei village, Zhamashi Township, Qilian County, covering an area of 60 meters from east to west and 20 meters from south to north. In 1983, it was found in the general survey of cultural relics in the prefecture that it was the site of the coexistence of kayo culture and Qijia culture in 1987. The ground is exposed with ash layer, pottery and other relics, and the cultural layer is 0.3 meters deep. It is a county-level cultural relics protection unit.

2. Sigoukou site II: kayo cultural site. Located 700 meters east of guomi village, Zhamashi Township, Qilian County, on the second platform on the North Bank of Sigou Heihe River. The site is 50 meters wide from east to west, 150 meters long from north to south, and 0.3 meters thick in cultural layer.

3. Dongtai site in Xiatang: the site of kayo culture. It is located in gezidong village, Zhamashi Township, Qilian county. The area is 60 meters wide from east to west and 80 meters long from north to south. The site is well preserved.

4. Han Dynasty Tombs: baishiya cemetery is located on a hill 500 meters to the east of baishiya village, EBAO town. It is 100 meters long from east to west and 50 meters wide from south to north. There are relics such as remains of tombs and human bones exposed in the stratum. In 1983, a gray pottery pot was collected and identified as a Han Dynasty tomb.

5. EBAO ancient square city: it is located in the north of 18 kilometers from EBAO town to Babao highway in Qilian county. EBAO ancient square city is 100 meters away from it. The city is trapezoidal, 150 meters long from east to west, 120 meters wide in the middle, 5 meters high and 5 meters high. The North and south walls have five horse faces respectively, and the west wall has two horse faces, 7 meters wide and 12 meters long.

6. EBO ancient city: located in the seat of EBO town government. The city is 200 meters wide in the East and West, 300 meters long in the north and south. The remnant height of the city wall is 6 meters, and the width is 6 meters. There is a horse face in the middle of the north wall and the four corners of the city. There are three gates in the East, North and south, and the gate is 1 meter wide. There are urn cities. According to the historical records of Xining Prefecture, the ancient city of ebou was built in the northwest of Weizhi and 140 Li west of Yong'an City in the Yuan Dynasty, and is still alive today

The best time to travel

The best season for local tourism is from May to October every year. The climate is cool and pleasant.

Traffic information

From Xining to Huangzhong, first go to the small Ximen bus station next to Xining gymnasium, which is in the west of Xining. There are frequent buses and jeeps to Huangzhong, a small town near Ta'er temple. All of them are minibuses. They usually leave every 30 minutes during the day, and the latest one will leave around 6 pm at the latest. The ticket price of CMB and taxi is 5 yuan per person.

Address: kayo village, yunguchuan, Huangzhong County, Xining City

Longitude: 101.55405426025

Latitude: 36.7689562988

Ticket information: free.

Chinese PinYin : Ka Yue Wen Hua Yi Zhi