Banpo Neolithic Village reveals life in Stone Age China

At the Banpo Neolithic village site, a guide notes that foundations for houses were dug a few feet into the ground. [Photo by Anne Ruisi/chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 200 storage pits, six pottery kilns, 250 tombs and more than 10,000 stone tools and everyday items were unearthed at the site. The sites of 45 houses were found.

The museum is small and modern but one of the best of its size in China. The main excavation area is protected in a huge, well-lit building that resembles an airplane hangar. Visitors can walk around the display to see the village remains from every angle. Artifacts are exhibited in historical context and information is presented in good English for those who don't read Chinese.

A short, well made film in Chinese and English about the village and the people who lived there is regularly shown at the museum. It provides a good introduction and overview of Banpo, how it came to be and why it is important now to understand the past.