Zishan Site, Archaeological site in Yuyao City, China

The Zishan Site covers about 5,000 square metres in Xizhou Village, Zhangting Town, Yuyao. Its ten strata include Hemudu-culture layers with stilt-house remains, post holes and timber supports, plus pottery, flint tools and an ivory bird-shaped dagger.

The Zishan Site was found during surveys after the 1970s discovery of Hemudu. Its lowest layers date by radiocarbon to 5560–4600 BC, equivalent to Hemudu phase 4A. Excavations in 1981 and 1996 uncovered ten strata, with Hemudu culture layers 3–10 and small Liangzhu tombs in layer 2. It became a national key cultural relic protection unit in March 2013.

The pottery fragments reveal how people here shaped clay into vessels for daily tasks and storage. These objects show the craft traditions that connected communities in this region during ancient times.

Access to the site is easiest from Yuyao City, which has good connections to other areas in Zhejiang Province. Guided visits are available and help visitors understand the excavated sections and their layout.

Among the finds were 385 stone artefacts from layers 6 to 10, mostly flaked rather than ground, made from flint taken from Shulanggang Hill north of the site. It was the first time such flaked Neolithic stone tools were found in Zhejiang in a secure layer, and their exact use is still debated.