China the Beautiful

[chinapage]

Archaeological records have now revised the age of China's civilization from 5000 years to 8,000-10,000 years old.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200212/05/eng20021205_108006.shtml
People's Daily 12-5-2002

Wang Wei, deputy director of the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, "The invaluable cultural objects unearthed at the Dadiwan Ruins reflect the prehistoric cultural development on the upper reaches of the Yellow River, which had long been dubbed as the cradle of the Chinese civilization. They form a complete cultural chain in our research of the period 8,000 to 5,000 years ago."

They have unearthed China's earliest painting, writing, colored pottery, crop seed strain specimen and buildings showing the development from a rural to an urban society at Dadiwan Ruins in northwest China's Gansu province.

Archaeologists in China have excavated more than 200 colored pottery items dating back 8,000 years, believed to be the earliest of their kind ever found in China.

[chinapage]

The News report did not point out that this is a very major archeological site in China (and the world). It is not just a few pieces of broken pottery, or writings on the wall here and there.

The dadiwan site has been under exploration for over 50 years. It covers an area some 1,000,000 square meters, and is situated about 300 Km west of Sian in Gansu Province.

http://www.wheatpile.com/culture/dadiwan/

has a good description. Its importance, IMHO, is greater than the Tomb of Qin Shishuangdi.

Ming