Chinese archaeologists have unearthed some cultural relics in the northeastern part of Sichuan Province, which indicate the Ba Culture existed some 4,000 years earlier than previously believed.

The excavation was conducted at the Luojiaba ruins, a site covering 20,000 square meters in Xuanhan County. In the initial dig on a 50-square-meter spot, a large number of relics including pottery, bronze and iron ware were found buried in 11 layers of deposits dating back from the late Neolithic age to the Han Dynasty.

Judging from the shape, style and materials of the unearthed relics, archaeologists believe they have the typical feature of the Ba Culture.

The recent discovery proves the Ba Culture originated in present-day Sichuan Province and the Three Gorges area, instead of previously-believed western part of Hunan Province.

The Ba minorities lived in an area in southwest China, with Sichuan Province as the center at least 3,000 years ago, and created a unique culture there. The ethnic group was conquered by the Qin Dynasty around 200 BC. But their rich cultural heritage still has enormous appeal to people in southwest China.