Over 100 Neolithic jade artifacts unearthed in north China

HOHHOT, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 jade artifacts from the Hongshan culture, which was an important part of the Neolithic Age, have been unearthed in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, local authorities have said.

The artifacts were unearthed from a stone burial mound in the city of Chifeng's Aohan Banner during a four-month archaeological survey, which began in April and was conducted by a team from the region's institute of cultural relics and archaeology, according to the institute.

Sun Jinsong, director of the institute, said the stone burial mound is the largest from the late Hongshan culture that has been discovered in Inner Mongolia to date. The jade artifacts it contained include most of the known types of jade items from the Hongshan culture, and they have helped fill gaps in the study of jade artifacts of the Hongshan culture.

A seminar on the Hongshan culture is scheduled to take place later this month in Chifeng, set to gather experts and scholars from various research institutes and universities to participate in academic discussions and field visits to the excavation site. ■