Neolithic Weapons Unearthed in Central China

A dozen stone weapons have been unearthed from a site dating back between 3,800 to 4,200 years in central China’s Hunan Province, the provincial cultural relics and archaeology research institute said.

The Sunjiagang site, located northwest of Dongting Lake Plain, dates back to the late Neolithic Age to the early Xia Dynasty (around 2070-1600 BC). 

The stone weapons found at the Sunjiagang site in Lixian County include spears and arrows.

The relics indicate that the relationship between different communities in the area might have been relatively tense, and violent conflicts or wars occurred, said Zhao Yafeng, associate researcher with the institute.

Recent archaeological excavations also revealed a new form of residence at the Sunjiagang site, which is a simpler form of residential architecture. 

Zhao said the archaeological excavation and research at the site has greatly enriched the understanding of the prehistoric culture of the Liyang Plain and Dongting Lake area and provided new archaeological data for understanding the social life in the whole Dongting Lake area from the late Neolithic Age to the early Xia Dynasty.