Recovered from the Shangshan culture sites in Zhejiang Province, rice remains are part of the landmark relics of the eponymous culture, dating back some 11,400 to 8,600 years. Known as the birthplace of global rice-farming culture, the sites contain one of the earliest Neolithic Age ruins discovered in China so far.  

An exhibition showcasing carbonized rice from about 10,000 years ago opened its doors to the public at the National Museum of China in Beijing on November 21. About 200 items, including painted pottery and settlement relics, are on display at the exhibition themed “Rice, Origin, Enlightenment: A Special Exhibition of Shangshan Culture Archaeological Discoveries in Zhejiang.” 

The Shangshan sites were first discovered in the year of 2000 around the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the longest watercourse in Asia and the third-longest in the world. Archaeologists later excavated remains related to rice cultivation dating back some10,000 years, making for the country’s earliest-known settlement remnants. 

The exhibition, with the support of actual scene reconstructions and multimedia, aims to depict the social, economic and cultural development during the earliest stages of rice farming, unveiling the significance of archaeological discoveries at the site. 

Phytolith analysis in crops used for the study of rice remains at the Shangshan sites has been further incorporated into teaching materials employed by universities in Europe and the U.S., according to Lu Houyuan, a researcher with the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

(Text and photos by Wei Yao)  

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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