A selection of some of the pottery that has come from the Zhaojiaxuyao archaeological ruins. [Photo/WeChat ID: zibofabu2014]

An ancient hominid site discovered in Zhaojiaxuyao village – administered by the city of Zibo, in East China's Shandong province – was named on March 28 as one of the country's top 10 new archaeological discoveries made last year.

Over 1,000 relic objects, including pottery sculptures dating back some 13,200 years, were unearthed there.

Its core area covers about 400 square meters. Most of the unearthed relics were animal bones, pottery shards and ceramic sculptures, while some stoneware and clamshell items were also found at the site.

The discovery is widely said to have helped fill a knowledge gap in prehistoric human ruins in the region, providing key evidence about the significant transition from the Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age in northern China, especially in Shandong.

It is also seen as being of great value to the further study of the social organization formats and production methods of the time.