Banpo Neolithic Village reveals life in stone age China

At the Banpo Neolithic village site, a guide notes that foundations for houses were dug a few feet into the ground. [Photo by Anne Ruisi/chinadaily.com.cn]

Uncovered in the early 1950s when construction started on a new power plant, Banpo Neolithic village in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, is an archaeological jewel overlooked and overshadowed by the area's more famous regional attraction, the Terracotta Warriors.

Today, what's left of an ancient village that dates to the late Stone Age and its artifacts are preserved at the Xian Banpo Museum. While relics and remains characterize Banpo today, 6,000 years ago it was an active community of about 6 hectares, surrounded by a ditch, or moat, that was 5-6 meters wide.

Archaeologists at the site uncovered evidence of circular houses made of wood and clay. There were no written records, but excavations linked Banpo to the Yangshao, who lived along the Yellow River in that era. The discovery also proved the existence of settled communities in prehistoric China.