Ten pottery kilns dating back to the Yangshao Culture Period (about 5,000 years ago) were recently unearthed at the Baoshan Ruins on the southern slopes of Mt. Qinling.

They were excavated by a group of archeologists led by Zhao Congcang, a professor at the Northwest China University.

The kilns are scattered over a 500 square meter area. Each contains a stove and a two-chamber kiln. The kilns were divided into four groups. They are different from other kilns of the same period.

The new discovery is the first of the prehistoric culture on the upper reaches of Hanshui River. It is of great value for the study of pottery-making in ancient China, said an expert.

(Xinhua 02/15/2001)