Archaeologists recently discovered the ruins of an ancient town along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The 565,500-square-meter town is estimated to date back 5,000 years.

  An archeologist is excavating an ancient tomb.  

An article unearthed

The town, six kilometers southeast of Xiaogan City, Hubei Province, was built during the New Stone Age. Liu Hui, leader of the team of archeologists, said the town, which measures 870 meters long by 650 meters wide, was well preserved in its northern and southern parts.

Shaped like a rectangle, the town features residential blocks, tomb areas and farmlands. Judging from the mud in the ruins, the land was planted with rice paddies. The archaeologists also discovered pottery pieces, cooking utensils and containers.

Along with the town, more than 10 relics were also found in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

(China.org.cn by Wu Jin, June 6, 2008)