中华文明探源工程 (zhōnghuá wénmíng tànyuán gōngchéng): Project to trace the origins of Chinese civilization

The project aimed at tracing the origins of Chinese civilization released its archaeological research results on Monday.

According to its findings, Chinese civilization can be traced back more than 5,000 years based on the large-scale archaeological research in many domestic ruins.

The project is a multidisciplinary key scientific research project supported by the State. Commencing in 2001, the research work of the project was implemented in four stages and was completed in 2016.

Researchers have spent years on excavations in the ruins of Liangzhu in East China's Zhejiang province, the Taosi site in North China's Shanxi province, the Shimao site in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, and the Erlitou site in Central China's Henan province.

Archaeologists found an inner city with an area of nearly 3 million square meters and a larger outer city dating back around 5,000 years in the ruins of Liangzhu, Zhejiang province.

According to the research team, signs of civilization emerged around 5,800 years ago in areas of the Yellow River, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the West Liao River in Northeast China.