Breakthrough findings span from Paleolithic period to Qing Dynasty

The more than 20,000 stone tools and animal fossils from 15,000 to 50,000 years ago enrich people's understanding of ancient people's production methods and lifestyle in Northeast Asia during that period, and may shed light on evolution and the spread of modern humans through Northeast Asia.

Another discovery of world-class importance is the Xiatang Site in Xianju county, Zhejiang province, which has many remains of Shangshan Culture, a Neolithic culture from 11,000 to 8,500 years ago. The findings may provide materials for the study of rice agriculture dating back nearly 10,000 years.

Dai Xiangming, an archaeology professor at Capital Normal University, said, "It vividly portrays the early stage of Chinese agrarian society, which was based on rice cultivation, whose age and significance can be on a par with the wheat-growing civilization in West Asia."