Relics discovered at the Neolithic Kuahuqiao site -- the biggest archaeologist event in Zhejiang Province in recent years with discoveries that link the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River together for the first time -- can now be viewed at the Museum of Xiaoshan District in Hangzhou City.
Cabon-14 dating shows that the unearthed relics are about 8,000 to 7,000 years old. Dozens of Chinese archaeologists believe that this is the earliest Neolithic culture site discovered in Zhejiang Province, different and totally independent from discoveries in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
The site is located at Xianghu village of Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou. Archeologists excavated the site twice, once in 1990 and again in 2001. Large quantities of ancient cultural relics were unearthed including sophisticated painted potteries, unglazed pottery, stoneware, carpentry and jade articles. These articles have their unique style -- earlier than those of the famous Hemudu and Liangzhu sites with elements more similar to ancient culture in the Dongting Lake area in Hunan Province.
(人民日报[ People’s Daily], translated by Li Liangdu for china.org.cn, May 17, 2002）
