Archaeologists have discovered a new site of human activity in remote antiquity in Sai Kung, Hong Kong.

Zhang Shenshui, researcher of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua Wednesday that the important archaeological discovery not only rewrites the history when Hong Kong began having human activity, but also puts forward new topics of research for archaeologists.

More than 6,000 artifacts have been unearthed at the site, which is located at the Wong Tei Tung of Sai Kung, covering 8,000 square meters. The site was a field for stone artifacts making in the Paleolithic era ranging from 35,000 years to 39,000 years ago.

The significance of the discovery lies in the fact that, as the only discovery in Hong Kong from the Paleolithic era, it changes the traditional view that Hong Kong had no human activity until the Neolithic era.

Zhang said the artifacts unearthed mainly are middle- and large-sized ones, differing from those unearthed in the northern areas which are mainly small.

"More important, some artifacts unearthed this time had never been discovered before," he stressed.

He said the new discovery puts forward new topics for archaeological research since no new archaeological discoveries in China's coastal areas have been made in recent years.

The discovery was made at the end of 2004 by a joint team from the Hong Kong Archaeological Society and Sun Yet-sen University.

"Experts from the mainland and Hong Kong will continue to make further investigation on this site," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2006)