Artifacts from the Xia Dynasty unearthed in China

(ORDO NEWS) — In China, archaeologists excavating in Shanxi province in the north of the country discovered a rich collection of artefacts dating back to the late period of the Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BC).

The Xinhua News Agency reports the discovery with reference to a statement from the Institute of Archeology of Shanxi Province.

The archaeological mission of the provincial institute surveyed a prehistoric site located in the lower reaches of the Fenhe River.

Excavations were carried out in Jishan County, their total area has already reached about 150 thousand square meters.

Field work started in 2021. In two seasons, the researchers found two pottery kilns and 43 archaeological pits. The stoves are quite well preserved.

They consist of oven chambers, special trays for firing, a furnace and an additional platform, which is a mini-workshop.

At the end of 2022, the institute staff discovered another large archaeological pit and a third furnace to the west of it.

The length of the pit is about 23.5 meters, it stretches along the axis from east to west. It is about seven meters wide and four meters deep.

According to Cui Junjun, head of the archaeological project, numerous relics were found in this pit, including pottery, stone and bone tools, as well as items made from jade and shellfish shells.

In addition, during the excavations, archaeologists, in addition to objects of artificial origin, found numerous remains of animals and plant remains.

In particular, it was possible to identify about 250 thousand charred plant seeds, most of which turned out to be millet seeds. This suggests that during the Xia Dynasty, agriculture was very developed.

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