Detail

During excavations in the eastern city of Hangzhou, archaeologists discovered tens of thousands of chipped pieces remaining after the processing of the stone. The remains of a stone processing factory with a complex organization were also found here.

Since the approximately 15,000 square meter area of ​​Shenjiali, where a part of the workshop is located, is close to the mountains, stonemasons could easily access raw materials. The craftsmen working here were “adhered to high standards”, as evidenced by archaeological findings showing many well-made semi-finished objects. So far, only 325 square meters of area has been excavated here.

In another area called Shenjiafang in Tonglu County, 1,500 square meters of the existing 40,000 square meters were excavated. More than 200 objects were discovered here, including ash pits, graves, stone fences. Approximately 37,000 objects were also found, mostly stone products of the Liangzhu civilization. The works show different stages of pottery production. The items found include raw materials and tools.

These finds are important to scholars because they help them understand the stone processing methods used by Liangzhu’s ancient masters.

Unfortunately, archaeologists have not yet provided any photographs.

A little about the Liangzhu civilization

• The Liangzhu culture originated in eastern China, in the Yangtze River Delta, about 5,300 years ago and is known for its gemstone and lodestone products (a collective term that includes minerals and rocks with valuable visual qualities such as beautiful color, structural pattern, or others). . .
• These people built a great city. Its ruins show numerous signs of the social, cultural and technological achievements of the final stages of the Stone Age. Advanced hydraulic engineering allowed representatives of the Liangzhu culture to build canals, dams and reservoirs, so their city is today called the “Neolithic Venice of the East.”
• But about 4,300 years ago, the Liangzhu civilization mysteriously disappeared and the ancient city became empty. For a long time the causes of the death of civilization were unknown. According to one version, a catastrophic flood is to blame for everything, since a thin layer of clay was discovered on the surviving ruins. A 2021 study found that the city’s demise was likely caused by climate change: Heavy monsoon rains had caused floods in the Yangtze and its tributaries so severe that even elaborate dams and canals could not save the disaster.