The Jiaojia relics in the Zhangqiu distract of Jinan, Shandong province, excavated by a group of experts led by Wang Fen from the archaeology and museum department of Shandong University, were listed among the top 10 archaeological discoveries in China of 2017 on April 10.

Covering an area of nearly 150,000 square meters, the relics revealed an extremely rich cultural heritage, including rammed earth walls, ditches, 215 tombs, 116 house sites as well as burial objects such as jade bracelets, pottery cups, white pottery and painted pottery.

Jade found in Jiaojia relics in Zhangqiu district of Jinan, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: wenbozhongguo]

A town site built in the middle stage of Dawenkou culture was discovered in the Jiaojia relics site, the earliest town site found in the region of Shandong and one of the earliest town sites in the Yellow River basin. Its unearthing filled in a gap in the study of residential patterns in the middle and late stage of Dawenkou culture.

The Jiaojia relics site, the most important one for Dawenkou culture with a higher standard and more comprehensive remains than the site of Dawenkou relics, is a connecting link between the preceding Xihe culture of the middle Neolithic Age and the following Longshan culture and Yueshi culture.

Distribution map of tombs in the Jiaojia relics site in Zhangqiu district of Jinan, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: wenbozhongguo]

In addition, the discovery of large-scale burial areas and evidence of tombs destruction among the Jiaojia relics, along with large abundant house sites, tombs, sacrificial pits, ash pits and a great amount of jade and pottery, reveals the great changes of society from the middle stage of Dawenkou culture to the late stage, and provides unprecedented information for studies on the transformation and complexity of prehistoric society in the lower Yellow River areas.

Sacrificial pottery pits at the Jiaojia relics site in Zhangqiu district of Jinan, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: wenbozhongguo]