An exhibition showcasing carbonized rice from about 10,000 years ago has opened at the National Museum of China in Beijing.
Recovered from the Shangshan site in east China’s Zhejiang Province, the rice remains are part of the landmark relics of the Shangshan culture, which dates back between 11,400 years and 8,600 years. It is known as the birthplace of global rice-farming culture.
About 200 items from the early, middle, and late Shangshan culture, including painted pottery and settlement relics, were on display at the exhibition. The exhibition is titled “Rice, Origin, Enlightenment: Special Exhibition of Shangshan Culture Archaeological Discoveries in Zhejiang.”
The Shangshan site was first discovered in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in 2000. Archaeologists later excavated remains related to rice cultivation dating back about 10,000 years, the earliest known remains of settlements, and several painted pottery remains. The site is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, the Shangshan site is so far the earliest known remains of rice farming in the world. As an origin of rice farming, the Shangshan culture occupies an important position in the formation of Chinese civilization.
The exhibition aims to depict the social, economic, and cultural development at the beginning of rice farming. It also unveils the significance of the archaeological discoveries at the site.