SW China relics confirmed as being older than previously thought

CHENGDU, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Neolithic relics in southwest China's Sichuan Province have been confirmed as being 4,500 to 5,300 years old, much older than previous estimates, according to an official announcement from local relics authorities on Wednesday.

The discovery came from research undertaken after an excavation at the Luojiaba cultural relics site in Jinhua Village, in the city of Dazhou, from December 2015 to June 2016, according to Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute.

Archeologists excavated an area of 300 square meters and found nearly 100 tombs, pits and ditches, and around 1,000 items, including pottery, stone, bronze and iron ware.

The relics show that fishing, hunting and gathering played a very important role in ancient Luojiaba, said Chen Weidong, an official at the institute who is in charge of the excavation.

"The site has given us a vivid picture of the natural environment and lifestyle of residents of this region during the Neolithic Age," he said.

This was the fourth archaeological excavation at the Luojiaba site, which covers a total of 600,000 square meters. Luojiaba was excavated for the first time in 1999, previously dating back 3,000 to 4,700 years. Enditem