【AICC Original Article】Two Sites in Wuhu Selected as National Proactive Archaeological Excavation Projects

Recently, the National Cultural Heritage Administration officially approved the national proactive archaeological excavation projects for 2026, among which the Renzidong Site in Suncun Town, Fanchang District, and the Shenduntou Site in Pingpu Town were selected.

Since its discovery in 1998, the Renzidong Site has undergone 13 rounds of formal excavations, yielding hundreds of artificially crafted stone tools, dozens of bone artifacts, and nearly 100 species of vertebrate fossils totaling over 10,000 pieces. The site dates back approximately 2.56 to 2.2 million years, making it one of the key sites providing evidence for the one-million-year human history in China. The proactive archaeological excavation in 2026 will primarily focus on "Huaguo Cave," a newly discovered second location in recent years, with an excavation area of 60 square meters.

The Shenduntou Site is located in Pingpu Town, Fanchang District. The main body of the site dates back to the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period. From 2024 to 2025, with the approval of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, a joint archaeological team composed of Nanjing Normal University, the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the Wuhu Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and the Fanchang District Cultural Relics Protection Center conducted two consecutive proactive archaeological excavations at the Shenduntou Site, uncovering a total area of 1,640 square meters. Notably, the discovery of remains related to bronze casting confirmed that this site served as an "official industry" bronze casting workshop during the early and middle Spring and Autumn Period of the Wu State, filling a gap in the casting link of the regional bronze production chain.

The approval of these two proactive archaeological excavations provides an opportunity to further explore the value and connotations of the sites, and to delve into major academic issues such as the origins of early humans in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the accompanying environmental evolution, as well as the pre-Qin dynastic "official industry" bronze casting system of the Zhou Dynasty. The Fanchang cultural heritage authorities have stated that they will actively cooperate with the excavation units to carry out archaeological work and accelerate the research, interpretation, and application of the results regarding these cultural relics.

Source: Wuhu Daily