Land of the 'giants'

"The site is very significant in studying the origin and development of civilizations in the lower reaches of the Yellow River," says Tang Zhongming, dean of the archaeology and museology department at the School of History and Culture, Shandong University.

"Age determination methods, including carbon-14 dating, conducted on bone remains and analysis of the distribution of burial sites indicate the site is no less than 5,000 years old," confirms Tang, a member of the excavation team.

The Jiaojia site was discovered in 1987 and was put under protection in 1992. Students and teachers of the department dug across 2,170-plus square meters in 2016 and 2017, unearthing rammed earth walls, a trench surrounding the walls, 116 house ruins, 215 tombs, a pottery kiln and 974 ash pits.