6,000-year-old Neolithic site found in Inner Mongolia

HOHHOT, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region found a Neolithic site dating back to more than 6,000 years ago, said local authorities.

The site was discovered in Qahar Right Wing Middle Banner, according to the culture and tourism bureau of the city of Ulanqab. When local herdsmen passed by, they found a wasteland, barren of grass and scattered with strangely shaped stone tools.

Archaeologists then conducted a survey and found that there were a large number of stone tools such as chopping tools, stone grinding plates, stone knives, and stone axes on the ground of the site, some of which were relatively complete, as well as some shells and pottery pieces.

Experts confirmed that the site is a Neolithic site of the Miaodigou type in Yangshao Culture. This is the second time that such type of Neolithic site has been discovered in this area.

Liu Xuefeng, an official with the culture and tourism bureau of Qahar Right Wing Middle Banner, said that these new discoveries provide rich archaeological data for studying the distribution of Neolithic cultural remains in central Inner Mongolia and exploring the different local types of Yangshao Culture.

The Yangshao Culture, dating back 5,000 to 7,000 years, was a Neolithic culture that originated along the middle reaches of the Yellow River. It is widely known for its advanced pottery-making technology.