Over 12,000 Paleolithic stoneware items unearthed in NW China

CAIRO – 16 March 2022: According to China's Shaanxi Academy of Archeology, archaeologists have found more than 12,000 stone pieces dating back to the Paleolithic era, in Shaanxi Province, northwest China.

The academy added - according to the Chinese Xinhua News Agency - that the archaeological finds were uncovered during an excavation project that began in March 2021 at the Yeyuan relics site in Luonan County, with a drilling area of 500 square meters.

The discovered items include stone scrapers, sharp tools, chopping tools, and hand axes, among other items.

According to preliminary estimates, ancient humans were present in that area at least 600,000 years ago. Human activity began to flourish about 250,000 years ago and lasted for about 70,000 years.

Zhang Gaike, a researcher with the academy, said the discovery is important for studying the development of Paleolithic culture in the Qinling Mountains region and the cultural exchanges between humans in different regions during the Paleolithic era.