Keqiutou Site group: Unveiling China’s southeastern coast during Neolithic period

The Keqiutou Site group on Pingtan Island in Fujian province has revealed significant discoveries since 2017, shedding light on China's southeastern coast during the Neolithic period.

This site group includes the Keqiutou, Xiying, Donghuaqiu, and Guishan sites, dating back approximately 6,500 to 7,300 years.

The archaeological remains at the site exhibit distinct cultural characteristics at each stage, providing direct evidence for exploring the development, ethnic evolution, and migration of early Austronesian populations.

Discoveries such as shell mounds, ash pits, pottery shards, human skeletal remains, marine and terrestrial animals, and rice remnants, have offered crucial evidence for studying the settlement patterns, physical characteristics and subsistence patterns of early Austronesian populations over the past 7,000 years.

The findings also illustrate the combined maritime and continental characteristics of the early Austronesian population, providing insights into their outward spreading path.