A Study of the Dahutou Wetland Settlement Site of the Yue State in Shaoxing, China

YOU Xiaolei1*, WANG Bingyan2, CHEN Xuexiang3, ZHENG Yunfei1, ZHANG Ji4, CHEN Jianli5, WU Xiaotong6, and WANG Ningyuan1

The Dahutou Site in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China, is a wetland settlement in the Yue State capital, approximately 2500 BCE. Shaoxing, located in a subtropical monsoon climate zone, is bordered by the sea to the north and thus susceptible to marine transgressions, while mountains to the south often lead to droughts and floods. The Yue people constructed large-scale hydraulic systems in the southern mountains and chose foothills of the plains as their settlements. Within the Dahutou Site, natural depressions and artificial ditches formed distinct zones. Various types of stilt-style houses were built to adapt to the humid environment and muddy ground. Wells were dug to obtain clean water, and boats served as a means of transportation. Agriculture primarily relied on rice cultivation, supplemented by dryland crops, with bronze tools being the main farming implements. The site provides new material for understanding how the Yue people improved the environment in low-lying wetlands, managed their capital, organised agriculture and handicrafts, and promoted the development and unification of regional culture.