New archaeological finds update the importance of Lingjiatan site

The ash pit of burned soil at the Lingjiatan site [Photo/Official WeChat account of the China Cultural Relics Daily]

The Lingjiatan site in Hanshan county, Ma’anshan city, Anhui province, is a Neolithic site first discovered in 1985. During the latest excavation from 2020 to 2022, relics from a sacrificial pit - including the largest stone axe head (yue) and the largest jade ornament called huang - as well as two ash pits of burned soil were unearthed, providing significant material for the in-depth study of the origin, formation and development of the Chinese civilization.

Yue, the largest Neolithic stone axe head in China, unearthed at the Lingjiatan site. [Photo/Official WeChat account of the China Cultural Relics Daily]

Huang, the largest Neolithic jade ornament in China, unearthed at the Lingjiatan site. [Photo/Official WeChat account of the China Cultural Relics Daily]