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Celebrating 65 years since the discovery of the Majiabang site, Jiaxing hosted an academic exchange meeting and the establishment conference of the Zhejiang Archaeological Society's Special Committee on Archaeological Site Parks from Oct 29 to 31.

During this event, Majiabang Archaeological Site Park and Liangzhu National Archaeological Site Park signed a cooperation agreement, connecting these two iconic Neolithic cultures of the Yangtze River Delta.

The Majiabang culture, which dates back around 7,000 years, shed light on early civilization in the Yangtze River Basin. Excavations in 1959 unearthed a wealth of artifacts, including tombs, remnants of houses, stone tools, and carbonized rice grains that tell of early rice farming.

The Majiabang culture evolved into the Songze culture around 5,500 years ago, which later transitioned into the Liangzhu culture about 5,000 years ago. Liangzhu, one of China's first national archaeological parks, exemplifies successful preservation and public engagement. This collaboration strengthens cross-regional cooperation, academic research, and cultural heritage protection.

The event also featured the opening of the Prehistoric Aesthetics of Jiangnan exhibition, which showed 106 artifacts from Majiabang, Songze, and Liangzhu cultures and explored ancient aesthetics through forms, colors, patterns, and ornaments. This exhibition will run until Jan 12, 2025.

The formation of the Zhejiang Archaeological Society's Special Committee on Archaeological Site Parks aims to enhance site management and intertwine archaeology with tourism and education, providing new opportunities for public engagement with history and culture.