Southern China's Oldest City Confirmed at 3,000+ Years
Archaeologists confirmed the existence of southern China's oldest known city, dating back more than 3,000 years to the early Shang Dynasty in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The discovery pushes back the timeline of urban development in southern China significantly. The find provides new insights into ancient Chinese civilization and early city planning.
The newly confirmed ancient city is named the Niuluchong site, located in Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County near the city of Guilin. Its discovery was accidental, unearthed in 2022 by a construction project that stumbled upon patterned bricks and broken pottery. A panel of experts from institutions including the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Archaeology and Hubei University officially confirmed the site's age in December 2024. This finding officially pushes back the history of urban development in the Lingnan region from the previously believed Warring States Period (475-221 BC) to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1050 BC). Excavation leader He Anyi described the city as covering an area of 23,100 square meters, measuring about 165 meters from north to south and 140 meters from east to west. The site features significant defensive structures for its time, including double city walls and surrounding moats. The north and west walls of the city are well-preserved, with the highest remaining section of the west wall standing at approximately 1.4 meters. Archaeologists have also uncovered other structural remains like ash pits and pillar holes, providing clues to the city's layout and construction. Beyond structures, the dig has yielded cultural relics such as various pottery, stone tools like arrowheads and rings, and even carbonized rice. These artifacts offer a glimpse into the daily life and technological capabilities of the people who inhabited the city over three millennia ago.
