Archeologists in east China's Anhui province have unearthed a cluster of village sites dating back 3, 000 years.

Located on the outskirts of Ma'anshan city, the ancient villages are believed to date from the Shang Dynasty (16-11 century BC) and the following Western Zhou Dynasty (11 century-771 BC).

Archeologists have excavated more than 80 pits and found over 40 ancient artifacts belonging to the two dynasties over an area covering 100,000 square meters.

Most of these artifacts are valuable stone and pottery wares, and fishing weights and bronze arrowheads indicating the emerging fishing industry 30 centuries ago.

A number of porcelain artifacts believed to date from the Western Zhou Dynasty may represent the earliest form of china, said one of the archeologists.

These villages, the first ever discovered in the area, epitomize the typical style of the Hushu Culture prevailing in neighboring Nanjing and Zhengjiang, both cities of eastern Jiangsu Province, according to local archeologists.

The Hushu culture once played an active role in the region's cultural development.

( China Daily July 8, 2002 )