9,000-year-old settlement unearthed in China's Zhejiang

Painted pottery, tombs and a skeleton were excavated in a Neolithic settlement, dating back 9,000 years, in east China's Zhejiang Province, according to local authorities.

Credit: Zhejiang News Network

The provincial cultural relics and archaeology institute said the ancient settlement was discovered in a Neolithic site, located in Qiaotou Village in the city of Yiwu, today known as the world's supermarket.

Excavation of the site started in 2014. So far, an area of about 2,000 square metres has been excavated.

Credit: Zhejiang News Network

Archaeologists said the settlement is a circular settlement with a mound in the centre surrounded by artificial trenches.

A large number of painted pottery was found in the mound, including red and white pots, plates and jars. Intact and smashed pottery were also unearthed in some pits.

Credit: Zhejiang News Network

"This place might have been a venue for sacrificial and ceremonial events of the ancient residents," said Jiang Leping, a researcher with the provincial cultural relics and archaeology institute.

Meanwhile, two tombs and a complete male skeleton unearthed on the site are speculated to be the earliest of their kind in Zhejiang.