According to a report of China's CCTV, during the course of archaeological excavation to support the project of south-to-north water diversion, a village relic of the Xia Dynasty, (2207BC-1766BC) which integrally reproduces the status of life and production in central China over 3,000 years ago was discovered in Xingyang, Henan recently.

Archaeological excavation proved that over 3,000 years ago the place used to be a village covering an area of 300,000 square meters with distinct division of life region, production region, sacrifice region and cemetery region.

When the houses were built, the ground and walls of the houses were burnt so that they would become firm and moisture-proof. The divination bones unearthed from the cellar for storing indicated that religious sacrifice events were commonplace at that time.

"This settlement gathered signs for firing of pottery wares about life to death, residence to daily life and burying, constituting an integrated village relic," said Chu Xiaolong from Henan's Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.

(Chinanews.cn July 4, 2005)