Prehistoric relic site discovered in East China

JINAN — An ancient hominid site dating back some 13,200 years has been unveiled in East China's Shandong province, with over 1,000 relic objects, including pottery sculptures.

The site is in Zhaojiaxuyao village, in the city of Zibo, and existed around the transition period between the Paleolithic Age and the Neolithic Age.

Its core area covers about 400 square meters. Most of the unearthed relics were animal bones, pottery shards and ceramic sculptures, while some stoneware and clamshell items were also found at the site.

"We can see that the pottery-making techniques had become relatively mature at that time, and the relics are, to date, the earliest pottery items discovered in Shandong," says Zhao Yichao from Shandong's provincial cultural relics and archaeology research institute.

"Some deer and bird bones bear cut marks, which indicates that the ancient hominid's meat consumption centered on such creatures," Zhao adds.

The discovery has helped fill the gap of prehistoric human ruins in the region, providing key evidence for the significant transition from the Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age in northern China, especially in Shandong. It is also of great value to the further study of the social organization formats and production methods at that time.

Xinhua