Neolithic Site of Baiyang Village in Binchuan County, Dali

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The Baiyangcun Site (白羊村遗址) is a significant Neolithic settlement located 500 meters west of Baiyang Village (白羊村), Jinniu Town (金牛镇), Binchuan County (宾川县), Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture (大理白族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省). It sits on a terrace beside a tributary of the Jinsha River (金沙江) and covers an area of about 3,000 m². Dating back around 4,500 years, the site reveals traces of ancient daily life, including houses, tombs, storage pits, and hearths.

Archaeological Discoveries

Excavations in 1973–1974 and 2013–2014 uncovered:

• Houses: Wooden structures with mud walls, some from early and late settlement phases.
• Tombs: 34 burials, including child jar burials.
• Artifacts: Over 500 stone, pottery, and bone tools; ornaments; and carbonized rice, showing early rice farming.
• Animal Remains: Bones from dogs, pigs, cattle, deer, and other species, revealing a mix of farming, hunting, and animal husbandry.

Historical Importance

The Baiyangcun Site offers valuable insights into Neolithic life in the upper Yangtze River region. It reflects a society transitioning from a matrilineal clan system to early patrilineal organization. The evidence of rice cultivation is especially important for studying the origins of agriculture in Yunnan.

Protection Status

• 1989: Listed as a county-level protected cultural site.
• 1998: Upgraded to a provincial-level key cultural relic site.
• 2006: Declared a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国国务院).

Visiting Information

The site is located on a raised mound near the Sangyuan River (桑园河), about 500 meters from Baiyang Village. While the site itself is not a developed tourist park, it is of great interest to history and archaeology enthusiasts exploring Yunnan’s ancient past.