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Preliminary Observations On The Nature Of The Deposit Of The Ying-Shang Site At Hsiao-t'un-ts'un, An-Yang, Honan.
With Maps And Plans
By Chi Li.

   The digging of the first season(March, April, May, 1929) at this site was carried out in three different parts in and about the village of Hsiao-t'un-ts'un. Our first plan was to dig two trenches cutting across the site. But this was found, thou desirable from a theoretical point of view, to be impractical at the time. So an unconnected trench was dug by running down various [[strikethrough]] trenches [[/strikethrough]] shafts of the size 3.00 m. by 1.50 m., chiefly along the road south of the village, extending approximately EW. About ten shafts were run along this trunk line. But no longer had we attempted the work, was it obvious that there was nothing worth digging east of the shaft 79-80; and whatever was found was west of the shaft 101, near which Mr. Tung made his discovery of the inscribed shells the previous season. The digging along the road was not very encouraging so far as the oracle bones are concerned. It is otherwise important, as two burials were uncovered: one, in contracted position, the first one found in China as far as it is known; the other, dating back to the seventh century. Small fragments of the inscribed bones were also found; but the number is insignificant and the stratification was in most cases disturbed.
   Meanwhile some attempt was made in the cotton field north of [[strikethrough]] t [[/strikethrough]] the village where three trial pits were opened; it was found to be still [[strikethrough]] mo [[/strikethrough]] more hopeless. The next attempt was to dig the thrashing ground of the village , a large open space located right in the bosom of the village. It was here that we met with our first success. The ground was uncovered first by cutting a few trunk ditches and branching off from them according to the nature of the deposit. The result was that practically the whole area of the ground was uncovered and the digging at this part occupied the greater part of our time of the season, and yielded also the most important finds.
   
   The second digging in the cotton field is located about 370. m NE of the central digging. Only three shafts were run; but it was a very fruitful one. Practically all the arrowheads were found here; and what is [[strikethrough]] mo [[/strikethrough]] more important, fragments of bronze moulds were discovered in these diggings