White lime used by prehistoric humans 5,000 years ago to bedeck their houses and their handprints on the walls were discovered in the Yuchi Temple prehistoric site in east China's Anhui Province.

Located in Mengcheng County, Yuchi Temple site belongs to the later period of the Dawenkou Culture (approximately 5000 BC- 2600 BC), a culture of the late New Stone Age.

The white lime was spotted among the relics of red-earth houses.

"As no white lime was found on the wall, we can tell that the lime had been decorated on the ceiling, just like today's suspended ceiling," said a local archaeologist.

Handprints of prehistoric humans were also available on part of the wall of a southeast-northwestern row of houses, only part of which were excavated and the number of the houses remain unknown.

"Those marks were left precisely when the prehistoric humans plastered mud on the wall," noted the archaeologist.

Moreover, a few utensils used to store food grains were unearthed at this site.
 
(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2004)