An archaeological discovery in East China's Fujian Province has pushed back the history of mankind in the area by 180,000 years. Traces of ancient Chinese in the Old Stone Age 200,000 years ago and man-made flagging were found in two caves in Sanming in Fujian Province. The flagging is the first found in China and is also rare in the world, according to the Culture Department of Fujian Province.

More than 800 cultural treasures have been found at the spot including 70 stone implements and a large number of animal fossils. The same kind of stone implements have also been found in Taiwan, which proves that Taiwan and the Chinese mainland share a common origin, according to the department.

(China Daily 12/05/2000)