Layla Nelson
January 4, 2023
An ancient sacrificial pit was recently unearthed in China along with hundreds of Neolithic artifacts including jade tools and clay vessels.
The discoveries were made at the ruins of Lingjiatan, an ancient archaeological site on the Yangtze River in China’s Anhui province, the Anhui Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology said in a Dec. 9 press release.
Researchers first came across the site in 1985, which is surrounded by two concentric moats. The settlement is between 5,300 and 5,800 years old.
An ancient sacrificial pit was recently unearthed in China along with hundreds of Neolithic artifacts including jade tools and clay vessels.
The discoveries were made at the ruins of Lingjiatan, an ancient archaeological site on the Yangtze River in China’s Anhui province, the Anhui Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology said in a Dec. 9 press release.
Researchers first came across the site in 1985, which is surrounded by two concentric moats. The settlement is between 5,300 and 5,800 years old.
The largest piece of jade unearthed at the Lingjiatan Relics site
It has been excavated five times over the years, and the most recent excavation, from October 2021 and April 2022, focused on a 327-square-meter area near a cemetery, archaeologists said.
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One of the most important finds was a sacrificial pit about 13 feet long and a foot deep. It was filled with baked mud bricks, broken stone tools, and several shards of bone.
The exact purpose of the pit is not clear, although Neolithic Chinese may have burned jade as part of a ceremonial sacrifice, according to Antiquity magazine.
A dragon-shaped jade discovered at the Lingjiatan Relics site
In addition to the pit, archaeologists exhumed over 400 artifacts including jade beads, bracelets, combs and other accessories. According to the press release, a dragon-shaped jade object was one of the “curiouser” finds.
The newly found jade objects are of great importance for the study of minerals and rituals in prehistoric China, officials said.
In addition, five Han Dynasty tombs dating from 206 B.C. to AD 220.
In addition to sacrificial pits and jade jewelry, previous excavations have uncovered altars and house foundations, according to the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology of Anhui Province.
Google Translate and Baidu Translate were used to translate the Anhui Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology press release.
In addition to the pit, archaeologists exhumed over 400 artifacts including jade beads, bracelets, combs and other accessories. According to the press release, a dragon-shaped jade object was one of the “curiouser” finds.
The newly found jade objects are of great importance for the study of minerals and rituals in prehistoric China, officials said.
In addition, five Han Dynasty tombs dating from 206 B.C. to AD 220.
In addition to sacrificial pits and jade jewelry, previous excavations have uncovered altars and house foundations, according to the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology of Anhui Province.
Google Translate and Baidu Translate were used to translate the Anhui Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology press release.
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