Located along China's southeastern coast, the Hemudu Site currently lies 30-40 km from Hangzhou Bay and the East China Sea. Its core area spans over 40,000 square meters within the transitional zone between low hills and low-altitude plains at the northern foothills of the Siming Mountains in the Yao River basin, eastern Ningbo-Shaoxing region.

Most cultural deposits at the site are buried at elevations around sea level – exceptional conditions for preserving organic remains. Consequently, excavated artifacts of daily life, including rice husks, acorns, leaves, and well-preserved animal bones, showcase remarkable conservation.

As the first Neolithic site discovered in the Ningbo-Shaoxing area, Hemudu represents a groundbreaking archaeological breakthrough for the Yangtze River basin and broader southern China. It provides unprecedented clarity in reconstructing Neolithic history south of the Yangtze, demonstrating that this river basin served alongside the Yellow River as a cradle of ancient Chinese civilisation – a landmark discovery of unparalleled significance.

Renowned globally among Neolithic sites, Hemudu continues to draw scholarly attention for its profound academic and socio-cultural value. Subsequent excavations revealed the representative Tianluoshan settlement (2001-2014), while the 2013 discovery of Jingtoushan – China's earliest and richest marine cultural site near Hemudu – has been confirmed as a major source of Hemudu culture.

Source: ncha.gov.cn

Editors: Ye Ke, Chen Mingxia (intern)