Experts Recommend Including Boluo’s Luoyang Site in a Major “Archaeology China” Project

On the afternoon of September 19, an expert meeting on the archaeological survey of pre-Qin settlements in the Boluo area of the Dongjiang River Basin was held at Huizhou Museum. Drawing on a site visit and a project briefing, experts including Chen Xingcan, chairman of the Chinese Society of Archaeology, discussed survey methods, architectural remains and the area’s cultural connections with other regions. They recommended seeking to include the Luoyang Site in a major project under the “Archaeology China” program.

In their collective assessment, the experts said the archaeological survey project was well prepared, had clear academic objectives and used relatively advanced survey approaches and techniques. It has produced substantial findings that are important for understanding pre-Qin archaeological remains in the Boluo area of the Dongjiang River Basin.

The Luoyang Site is one of the project’s most important discoveries to date. The experts noted that, although the first phase of excavation covered only 500 square metres, it revealed more than one metre of pre-Qin cultural deposits, a variety of archaeological features and artefacts, and a relatively clear chronological sequence. The site provides an important reference point for establishing a sequence of archaeological cultures in the Dongjiang River Basin from the Spring and Autumn period to the Warring States period.

In view of the site’s academic value, the experts recommended seeking its inclusion in a major “Archaeology China” project, in line with provisions in the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Cultural Heritage Development concerning the development of such projects in the Lingnan region. They also called for sustained, planned archaeological excavation and research at the site.

An exhibition titled Beneath Mount Luofu: Interim Findings from the Archaeological Study of Pre-Qin Settlements in the Dongjiang River Basin (Boluo Area) is currently on display at the Liu Lun Art Gallery on the fourth floor of Huizhou Museum. It includes specimens collected during systematic archaeological surveys in central and western Boluo, as well as key artefacts unearthed during the 2025 rescue excavation at the Luoyang Site. Objects on display include a pottery bowl decorated with hunting scenes, large flat roof tiles, a pottery human figurine and a large jar decorated with double-line star-shaped motifs.