Shijiahe culture 石家河遗址

About Shijiahe culture

The site museum opened to the public in May 2026, giving visitors a practical introduction to an archaeological area that extends well beyond one building. Jade faces and animal forms reveal exceptionally skilled carving, while the exhibition explains how archaeologists reconstruct the ancient city from excavated traces. Start indoors before considering the permitted outdoor remains, and distinguish original objects from visual reconstructions of prehistoric life.

The site was discovered in 1954 in Shijiahe town (石家河镇), Tianmen, and dates to between 3000 and 2000 BCE. It was first protected in 1956 under the names Tianmen Earthen City (天门土城) and the site near Tianmen Shijiahe (天门石家河附近遗址), when it was listed as a first-batch Hubei provincial cultural relics protection unit; it was relisted nationally as the Shijiahe site (石家河遗址) in 1996.

It is the largest and most completely preserved prehistoric settlement site in the middle Yangtze region, covering an area of 8 square kilometres and comprising more than 40 individual site locations. The site was selected by Archaeology magazine (考古) as one of China's '100 Major Archaeological Discoveries of the 20th Century' and is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位).

What to look for

• Carved jade faces and animal forms in their archaeological context.
• The museum’s interpretation of the ancient city, ritual activity and excavation history.

Location & getting there

Getting to Shijiahe culture

Navigate to Shijiahe Site Museum in Shijiahe Town, Tianmen, rather than a general pin for the wider archaeological landscape. Confirm museum admission and which outdoor remains currently have a visitor route.