Archaeologists in Liaoning Province have made a significant breakthrough, unearthed 42 new Neolithic sites from the Hongshan culture in Fuxin. These discoveries, concentrated in the foothills of Nulu'erhu Mountain and Yiwulv Mountain, provide valuable insights into one of China's most important prehistoric cultures.
Zheng Junfu, a faculty member of the Archaeology and Museology School of Liaoning University, highlighted the importance of the findings: \"The significant number of sites unearthed in the Fuxin area exhibit notable characteristics of clustering. These findings from the Hongshan culture display similarities with neighboring regions like Chaoyang City and Chifeng City, while also showing unique attributes.\"
Since March last year, a new investigative round has surveyed 4,900 square kilometers across the Daling River, Xihe River basin, and Liaohe River main stem, resulting in 129 new Hongshan culture sites. This expansion beyond Yiwulv Mountain into the Liaohe River basin challenges the traditional boundaries and enhances our understanding of early Hongshan settlements, their productivity, ritual site construction, and settlement development.
The Hongshan culture, dating back 5,000 to 6,000 years, was primarily distributed across western Liaoning, northern Hebei, and eastern Inner Mongolia. Liaoning remains the core area for studying this ancient culture. Among the relics discovered is a jade dragon, a symbolic artifact from the Neolithic Age, now showcased at the National Museum of China.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
