Millenniums-old construction materials found in China's Xi'an

XI'AN, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, have unearthed three pieces of semicircular tiles dating back to the late Yangshao Culture period, according to the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology.

These semicircular tile shards were found in the ruins of a semi-crypt house at the Matengkong Site, which is located in the Matengkong Village in Yanta District, with an area of about 30,000 square meters.

These tile shards are all argillaceous orange pottery exhibiting clear marks of cutting and processing and residual finger smear marks. Pottery fragments such as pots, bowls, jars and rings, as well as tools like pottery knives and stone knives, were also unearthed from the ruins of the semi-crypt house.

Semicircular tile used to serve as an essential construction material for higher-grade buildings in ancient China. The discovery of tile ware from the late Yangshao Culture period provides important materials for the study of the origin and architectural history of construction materials of that era.

The Yangshao Culture, dating back 5,000 to 7,000 years, originated in the middle reaches of the Yellow River and is considered an important stream of Chinese civilization. It is widely known for its advanced pottery-making techniques.