GUIYANG, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The excavation of a cave dating back at least 3,000 years in southwest China's Guizhou Province began recently, local authorities said Wednesday.
The cave, discovered in March 2016, is located in Gaofeng Town. Two rounds of excavation have been conducted in previous years and a large number of ruins and cultural relics have been unearthed in the cave.
The new round of excavation has been carried out by the provincial institute of cultural relics and archaeology, Sichuan University and the institute of cultural relics and archaeology of Chengdu.
"A large number of pottery shards, grinded stone tools and animal bones were unearthed in previous excavations. Two tombs found on the site are believed to be the earliest burial behaviors of humans found in Guizhou," said Zhang Xinglong, associate researcher with the provincial institute of cultural relics and archaeology.
Archaeologists said that the well-preserved cave dates to between 3,000 years and 38,000 years ago. The abundant relics unearthed are of great significance to the study of early human culture and mankind's adaptation to the environment from the late Paleolithic to the Neolithic period in southwest China.
