Archaeological site reveals jade production process

This excavation confirmed the site was a core settlement bounded by waterways that specialized in the large-scale production of stone or jade objects. It revealed the natural transportation waterways linking the site and the well-known jade quarry of Mount Du, about three miles away. The archaeological work filled a gap in the understanding of Neolithic jade manufacturing sites in the Central Plains and the middle Yangtze River.

Yuan Guangkuo, a professor of history at Capital Normal University, called it "the first jade workshop in the prehistoric Central Plains" in an article published in Guangming Daily in June 2022.

"The Yangshao Culture building group found in the Huangshan site with a workshop in the front and a residential house in the back was one of the best preserved prehistoric buildings in China. It was also a major feature of early architecture in southwestern Henan province," he wrote. "With well-preserved architectural techniques and details of daily life, it could be called a 'Pompeiian' relic of China's prehistoric history. The workshop reproduced the complete production process of jade or stone objects, providing new material for the study of jade processing technology during that period."