[Explanation] On October 30, the reporter learned from the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region that the 2020 excavation of the dam crest site in Wuchuan County, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has basically ended.
Through a comprehensive analysis of the site’s shape, structure and relics, combined with documentary records, archaeologists preliminarily inferred that the site was an important royal worship site in Shengle and Yinshan during the Northern Wei Dynasty.
On the same day, the reporter visited the site under the leadership of archaeologists.
[Concurrent] Zhang Wenping, Deputy Director, Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
The Northern Wei Dynasty was a feudal dynasty established by the nomadic Tuoba Xianbei.
In the process of continuous development, the nomads have learned the culture of the Central Plains and (at the same time) they have maintained the traditions of the northern nomads in many ways.
In terms of the site of sacrifice to heaven we have seen now, the shape of the site is very similar to the architecture of sacrifice to heaven of the feudal dynasties in the Central Plains, but it retains many elements of nomadic culture.
This ruins is surrounded by a large house. This kind of shape has not been seen in other sacrificial sites.
Moreover, its sacrifices mainly use horses and sheep as sacrifices, which is also an important sacrificial feature of the northern nomads.
[Explanation] Xia Yuesheng, a technical engineer at the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, told reporters that the dam crest site was discovered in the second national cultural relics survey conducted in the 1980s.
In recent years, the land cultivation carried out by nearby villagers has damaged the site itself to a certain extent, but the main structure of the site still exists.
At present, archaeologists have unearthed complete clay pots, pottery slices, bricks, slabs, charcoal, etc. from the accumulated soil layer of Piyong in the site, mostly relics of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Part of animal bones for sacrifice were also unearthed at the bottom of Nepiyong.
During the reporter's visit, archaeologists were cleaning up the animal bones and iron relics inside Didi.
Charred charcoal can be seen everywhere in the area. According to archaeologists, this is the remains of the site after it was burned and collapsed.
[Explanation] According to official information, the dam crest site is 1,660 meters above sea level and is located in the middle of a gentle mountain, looking south to the Tumut Plain.
The site is composed of Di Nian, Nei Piyong, Neiwai Gai and Wai Piyong built from the inside to the outside, covering an area of about 10,000 square meters.
At present, an area of 1,300 square meters has been excavated. As winter approaches, archaeologists will cover and protect the site and restart the excavation work when the weather turns warm next year.
Reporter Ma Zhiyuan reports from Hohhot
Editor in charge: 【Luo Pan】