Archaeologists in northern China's Hebei Province have unearthed the ruins of a prehistoric village, which date back 7,000 to 8,000 years, near Beifudi Village in Yixian County.
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Zhang Pengming, who participated in the recent excavation of the site, said that archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of 10 well-preserved semi-subterranean houses.
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These houses were concentrated in one area and were arranged orderly, Zhang said. The cooking range and living room were located in the central part of the houses.
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Relics excavated from these houses include natural stone blocks, stone used as building materials, various stone ware, broken pottery and walnuts.
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Beifudi village is located on the northern bank of the Yishui River and 12.5 kilometers southwest to the town of Yixian.
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Archaeologists with the Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Research Institute and cultural heritage departments of Baoding City and Yixian County excavated 1,200 square meters of the site.
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Zhang said that discovery of the ancient village provides important materials for studying cultural relations between north and central China in ancient times.

(Xinhua News Agency February 28, 2005)