Shandong site provides solid evidence of prehistoric agriculture in northern China

Located in the east of Linzi, Shandong province, the Zhaojia Xuyao site, dating from 11 to 15 thousand years ago, is confirmed to be a site from the transition period between the Paleolithic Age and Neolithic Age.

The pottery shards excavated from the site are among the earliest of their kind found in northern China and are the most numerous in China. The discovery of this site has filled the gap in the cultural sequence of prehistoric archaeology in Shandong. The scorched soil found at the site indicates the interaction between humans and the land, providing clues for the research on the origin of agriculture.