A large number of colored pots are found at the Yiwu Qiaotou Site. [Photo/zgyww.cn]

Yiwu Qiaotou Site was listed among the top 10 archaeological discoveries in Zhejiang province in the new era and has attracted much attention in recent days.

The Yiwu Qiaotou Site is located in Qiaotou village in Chengxi sub-district, Yiwu. The site was discovered in 2012 and was shortlisted for the top 10 new archaeological discoveries in China in 2019. The two tombs of Shangshan culture at the Qiaotou site were the first tombs discovered in Zhejiang.

A large number of colored pottery was found in the mound, including red and white pots, plates and jars. Unbroken pottery and smashed pottery was also unearthed in some pits.

"This place might have been a venue for sacrificial and ceremonial events of ancient residents," said Jiang Leping, a researcher with the provincial cultural relic and archaeology institute.

Meanwhile, two tombs and a complete male skeleton unearthed at the site are speculated to be the earliest of their kind in Zhejiang.

Jiang said the red soil at the site is acidic and that further investigation will be conducted to find out how the skeleton has been so well preserved.

Experts have said that the Qiaotou site belongs to a Neolithic culture known as Shangshan, which originated in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China's longest waterway. Nearly 20 Shangshan sites have been unearthed in Zhejiang, with researchers finding evidence of wild rice cultivation at one site.