On June 27, the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Nanhai Museum announced a significant breakthrough in their research at the Pingmiangang site on Xiqiao Mountain. The site contains artifacts from both the Neolithic and Paleolithic periods. The discovery of a Paleolithic layer, over 40,000 years old, marks the earliest human remains found in the Guangzhou-Foshan area, pushing the cultural timeline of Nanhai back to 40,000 years ago.
As part of the major "Archaeology in China" program focusing on the origin and spread of the Austronesian languages, the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has been conducting regional surveys and explorations of the Xiqiao Mountain site group since March 2023.
Experts at Pingmiangang site on Xiqiao Mountain
According to experts from the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the Pingmiangang site is located on an alluvial fan at the southeastern foot of Xiqiao Mountain, within the Fuxian Village area, one of the earliest discovered locations in the Xiqiao Mountain site group.
Preliminary carbon-14 dating results indicate that the Paleolithic layer dates back over 40,000 years, while the Neolithic layer dates between 5,900 and 5,000 years ago.
Paleolithic stone tools unearthed
During this archaeological excavation, over 800 stone tools were unearthed from the Paleolithic layer, primarily made of siliceous rock, with some tools made of tuff and trachyte. The types of stone tools found include hammers, choppers, scrapers, cores, flakes, and fragments. Artifacts from the Neolithic period include pottery shards, stone tools, and wooden tools with signs of use.
Neolithic stone tools
Neolithic wooden tools
Neolithic plant remains
Experts have stated that the excavation of the Pingmiangang site is of great importance in enhancing the understanding of the archaeological cultural sequence in the Lingnan region and revealing the technology and survival strategies of prehistoric populations in the area. The newly uncovered Neolithic primary layers will aid in advancing academic research on Xiqiao Mountain culture and deepening the study of prehistoric archaeology in the Lingnan region.
Editor丨Lynette, Yu Lulu, Fanny, Will, James
