Household items, including stone and bone vessels, dating back 4,000 years have been unearthed at the Xihetan Ruins, in northwest China's Gansu Province.

Prof. Zhao Congcang with the Archaeology Department of the Northwest China University announced that the first phase dig at the Xihetan Ruins had been completed.

Within the excavated area of 11,000 square meters, 53 household items, 536 pits in a variety of shapes and sizes, and many stone and bone vessels had been discovered.

The Xihetan Ruins are an important prehistoric site, located along the route of China's west-east natural gas pipeline project as well as at the famous "Gansu Corridor", an important communication channel in ancient northwest China.

Archaeologists say the Xihetan Ruins may cover more than 500,000 square meters, and prove invaluable in the research of ethnic groups along the corridor.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2003)