Foundations of civilization

Discoveries at Nanzuo site offer stunning glimpse into a well-organized and functioning society, Wang Ru reports.

A national comprehensive research program, launched in 2002, to trace the origins of Chinese civilization, has led to the excavations and studies of key sites that are about 3,500 to 5,500 years old. It has revealed a host of secrets about ancient China, including how early civilizations were formed and how they merged to create unity in diversity. China Daily speaks to experts working at these sites to decode their recent discoveries.

The Palace Museum in Beijing, China's imperial palace from 1420 to 1911, attracts numerous visitors to admire its grand scale, precise layout and magnificent architecture. But on the Loess Plateau, there is a long-forgotten site that is home to a large-scale palace-like complex with a similar layout — a central axis and evenly distributed rammed earth terraces. This one, however, was built by ancient people about 5,000 years ago.

The Nanzuo site, located in Nanzuo village, on the Dongzhi plateau in Qingyang city, Northwest China's Gansu province, was first found in a national survey of cultural relics in 1958. Then, in the 1980s and '90s, six archaeological missions were carried out on the site, and the main structure, which was named F1 (No 1 house ruins), was discovered. At the time, though, it didn't arouse much interest and the size and significance of the site remained a mystery.