Shards of painted pottery dating to the Neolithic Period have been discovered in north China 's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The shards of pottery, perhaps a bowl can be dated 4,500 to 5, 500 years ago. Archeologists have excavated 177 items altogether, including jade and stone artifacts from a tomb in Hulun Buir. The discovery of these shards of pottery suggest frequent cultural exchanges among northern ethnic groups and central China then, said Zhao Yuming, a local official in charge of cultural relics.

Along with archaeological finds in the area dating back to the Paleolithic Age and the Shang and Zhou dynasties (B.C.16th century to B.C.221), a comprehensive study of the autonomous region's cultural history is now possible, said archaeologists.