House remains dating back 5,500 yrs found in China's Shanxi

This aerial photo shows a house foundation that covers around 30 square meters unearthed at an archaeological site in Xinghuacun Township in Fenyang City, north China's Shanxi Province. (Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Shanxi/Handout via Xinhua)

TAIYUAN, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists have unearthed the foundations of two houses dating back 5,500 years in north China's Shanxi Province.

The house foundations were found at an archaeological site in Xinghuacun Township in Fenyang City and traced back to the middle period of the Yangshao culture, according to the provincial institute of cultural relics and archaeology.

The Yangshao culture, dating back 5,000 to 7,000 years, was a Neolithic culture that originated along the middle reaches of the Yellow River.

The two house foundations, both halfway underground, were found in varying sizes. The larger site covers about 39 square meters, and the smaller one covers around 30 square meters.

Fragments of various artifacts, including millstone, sharp-bottomed bottles, and painted pottery pots, were unearthed at the larger site. In addition, the smaller site shows signs of burning.

"The discovery of two house foundations is of great significance to the study of the structure, layout, construction technology, and function of houses in the middle period of the Yangshao culture," said Wang Pujun, the director of the archaeological project.