Archaeologists in northwest China's Gansu Province recently discovered two pottery cooking utensils made 2,800 years ago.

A pot and a food steamer, excavated from a site in Lintao County of Gansu Province, are yellow with no designs. The pot is 26 cm high with two handles. The steamer has a diameter of 28 cm with a height of 16 cm.

From the shape, size, color and quality of the items and the location of excavation, archaeologists believe the utensils are about 2,800 years old, dating back to the period known as the Siwa Culture.

"This is the first time a pottery set with a food steamer was discovered anywhere in China. It verifies records on the way of living in ancient China and provides valuable evidence for study of pottery culture and the history of Chinese civilization," said Wang Haidong, vice president of the Gansu Provincial Colored Pottery Research Institute.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2005)