Yuanbaoshan site reveals the legacy of prehistoric culture

New discoveries at the Yuanbaoshan site in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, are shedding light on the enigmatic Hongshan Culture, which thrived 6,500 to 4,900 years ago in northeastern China.

Known for its exquisite jade artifacts and early dragon totems, the Neolithic Hongshan Culture is represented at Yuanbaoshan through rubble mound tombs, sacrificial pits, and a variety of artifacts—pottery, stone tools, jade ware, bone ware, and clam ware.

A standout find is the largest jade "pig dragon" ever unearthed, a symbolic figure of Hongshan Culture. These findings offer fresh insight into the culture’s social structure and ceremonial practices, deepening our understanding of early Chinese civilization.