Liuduiyu Site

Period: Paleolithic Age Location: Mantoushan Village, Zhaihuo Township, Bo'ai County

According to the Bo'ai County Chronicle compiled in 1960, animal and plant fossils were discovered here, together with caves inhabited by primitive humans and ancient shallow earthen pits. Two cultural relic surveys and verifications were carried out in 1972 and 1984. In June 1996, the People's Government of Bo'ai County designated this place a county-level cultural relic protection unit.

Stratigraphically, this area mainly features landforms formed in the Cambrian, Ordovician and Carboniferous periods of the Paleozoic Era, consisting of dolomite, marl and dark grey chert. The karst caves here are of distinctive features. This section forms the upper reaches of the East Shihe River shaped naturally. Years of water erosion and weathering have created numerous natural caves. One large cave reaches 10 metres in depth and 3 metres in width. Five caves of varying sizes remain halfway up the mountain, with irregular stone walls built along the cliff outside the caves. The larger caves extend more than ten metres inward, while the smaller ones stretch only 2 to 3 metres.

Stone implements were unearthed both inside the caves and on mountain slopes, including dragon bone fossils, stone cores, scrapers and choppers.

The Paleolithic cultural remains at Liuduiyu prove that primitive humans settled here at least 30,000 years ago, filling gaps in the archaeological record of human activities in Jiaozuo during the Paleolithic Period. These relics and stone artefacts faithfully preserve information about primitive human life, pushing back the origin of human civilisation in the Jiaozuo and Bo'ai area by tens of thousands of years.

The long duration of human occupation and the abundance of remains are rarely seen across Henan Province. This site constitutes a major contribution to China’s archaeological research, provides vital materials for public education in historical materialism and patriotism, and stands as further evidence of the profound Central Plains culture and ancient Chinese civilisation.

On June 16, 2008, the People's Government of Henan Province listed the site among the Fifth Batch of Provincial Key Cultural Relic Protection Units.