An aerial view of the Xiatang Site in Xianju county, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

The Xiatang Site in Xianju county, Taizhou, Zhejiang province, was selected as one of the 10 Zhejiang's major archaeological discoveries in 2024, as revealed on March 1.

Prior to this, the Institute of Archaeology with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences had included the Xiatang Site in its list of China's top archaeological discoveries of 2024.

Situated in Xiatang village, Xianju county, the Xiatang Site covers an area of about 30,000 square meters, and boasts a cultural layer at a thickness of 2.5 meters.

The site's history spans the entire Neolithic period, serving as a crucial testament to China's millennia-long cultural history and showing an independent and continuous cultural evolution.

The Xiatang Site reveals the settlement pattern during the Shangshan Cultural period (a Neolithic culture from 11,000 to 8,500 years ago), with earth terraces likely representing fundamental social units, marking a significant breakthrough in understanding the social structure of the Shangshan Culture and enriching knowledge of early agricultural societies.

The discovery of wild rice from 40,000 to 27,000 years ago within the site underscores its significance. This find offers vital insights into the origins of rice agriculture and the extensive history of rice cultivation in China.