On the trail of Majiayao

Discovery of large-scale settlement at Siwa site, in Gansu province, provides intriguing evidence of advanced society, Wang Ru and Wang Kaihao report.

When Italian President Sergio Mattarella had his state visit to China in November, he was invited by President Xi Jinping to appreciate some precious Chinese cultural relics that were put on display at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

These artifacts, which were illegally exported and seized in Italy, were returned from the European country to China in a gesture of international cooperation on cultural heritage protection. Eight painted pottery vessels were the highlights on that occasion. Their origins were traced to the Majiayao culture, a Neolithic archaeological culture in the upper reaches of the Yellow River dating back 4,000 to 5,000 years.

Widely believed to be a peak of prehistoric painted pottery art, the culture is marked by various pottery types decorated with intricate and exquisite patterns. Majiayao culture was first discovered in 1924. Even after a century of research, people still only had a rough understanding of its time and scope. Without evidence of any large-scale settlement, researchers did not know much about its residential form, or means of livelihood and social structure. This major stride was filled by archaeological efforts on the Siwa site in Lintao county, Northwest China's Gansu province from 2018 to 2024.