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Greeting 2026 with sunrise incised on 5,000-year-old pottery jar
Updated: Jan 1, 2026
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As 2026 begins and the first light of the year appears, let's travel back five millennia to witness a very special sunrise. This pottery jar with a pointed bottom, a ritual object from the Dawenkou culture (c. 4,300-2,600 BC) of the Neolithic period, bears a single inscription, almost like a sketch of the sun rising above a mountain. This symbol of sunrise was carved nearly 1,500 years before oracle bone inscriptions. Today, this pottery jar serves as the signature treasure of the Juzhou Museum in Shandong province.
