9 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

5500-year-old pentagon structure found in North China

Archaeologists discovered the remnants of a pentagonal structure going back 5,500 years in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, north China.

According to the Taiyuan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the remains were discovered at a construction site in Taiyuan, Shanxi’s provincial capital, and are thought to date from the middle and late phases of the Yangshao Culture.

It was stated that the semi-subterranean house discovered in the Neolithic ruins in Taoyuan covers a total area of 90 square meters and the surviving walls have a maximum width of 50 cm.

The walls were painted inside with a mixture of grass and mud, and several holes were also found where wooden pillars were placed to support the house and the walls, the Archaeological Institute said in a statement.

The pentagon house is believed to have been a tribal assembly hall or a leader’s office from 5500 years ago.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



ancient wall
A section of ancient wall was discovered at the Neolithic ruins at Taoyuan, a village in the city of Linfen, Shanxi province. Photo: Zheng Yuan

The pentagonal building was rare for that period as the prehistoric people only built structures larger than 80 square meters in the shape.

A total of 98 ash pits, 11 pottery kilns, two houses, and six tombs of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties were found at the site, among which the most prominent discovery was the pentagonal house covering about 32 square meters, said Pei Jingrong, a researcher with the institute. 

A piece of relic discovered at the Neolithic ruins at Taoyuan, a village in the city of Linfen, Shanxi province. Photo: Zheng Yuan
A piece of relic was discovered at the Neolithic ruins at Taoyuan, a village in the city of Linfen, Shanxi province. Photo: Zheng Yuan


Abundant pottery pieces have been unearthed in the house, including sand-filled pottery kettles, sand-filled grey pottery pots, red pottery pots, and sharp-bottomed bottles, Pei said. 

According to experts, the finding is of considerable academic importance for understanding the cultural traits of the Neolithic Age in Taiyuan Basin and the ancient cultural interactions in Taiyuan and its neighboring areas.

Previously, a dozen prehistoric pentagonal buildings had been found in China, mainly located in Lingbao City, Henan Province.

According to experts, the finding is of great academic importance for understanding the cultural traits of the Neolithic Age in Taiyuan Basin and the ancient cultural interactions in Taiyuan and its neighboring areas.

The Yangshao Culture, which originated in the Yellow River’s middle reaches, is regarded as a major stream of Chinese culture and is well renowned for its superior pottery-making skills.

Cover Photo: A picture displays the location of the pentagonal house in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, north China. /Taiyuan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

Xinhua News Agency

Related Articles

Urartian King Argishti’s shield reveals the name of an unknown country

30 January 2023

30 January 2023

The inscription on a bronze shield purchased by the Rezan Has Museum revealed the name of an unknown country. It...

A relief of a man holding his Phallus was found in Sayburç, one of the Taş Tepeler

18 October 2021

18 October 2021

In Sayburç, one of the Taş Tepeler in Şanlıurfa, a five-figure scene consisting of humans, leopards, and a bull was...

Synchrotron Technique Reveals Mysterious Portrait Underneath Renaissance Painting

16 April 2023

16 April 2023

Conservators and curators from the Art Gallery of New South Wales used the Australian Synchrotron’s advanced imaging technique to learn...

Hand disease known as Viking disease may have its origins in Neanderthal genes

14 June 2023

14 June 2023

A recent study in the Oxford University Press journal Molecular Biology and Evolution demonstrates that a condition known as Dupuytren’s...

New research determines portable toilets of the ancient Roman world

11 February 2022

11 February 2022

New research published today reveals how archeologists can determine when a pot was used by Romans as a portable toilet,...

Egyptian archaeologists discovered 16 meters long ancient papyrus with spells from the Book of the Dead

19 January 2023

19 January 2023

Archaeologists working in Egypt’s Saqqara region have unearthed a 16-meter-long ancient papyrus for the first time in a century. Saqqara...

Gadebridge Park Roman Villa Marks England’s Largest Private Roman Swimming Pool

28 September 2025

28 September 2025

Beneath the grass and walkways of Gadebridge Park lies one of England’s most extraordinary Roman relics: a villa complex with...

Thousand-year-old bone skate discovered in Czech Republic

20 March 2024

20 March 2024

Archaeologists from the central Moravian city of Přerov, Czech Republic have announced a unique discovery. While carrying out excavations in...

Ancient Water Pipeline Unearthed on 65-Meter Hill in Tajikistan Reveals Engineering Marvel of the Past

19 August 2025

19 August 2025

Archaeologists in Tajikistan have made a groundbreaking discovery at the Mugtepa settlement in Istaravshan: an ancient water pipeline system, constructed...

Maya Archaeological site for sale on Facebook has stirred controversy in Yucatán and across Mexico

31 March 2023

31 March 2023

Over 249 hectares of land for sale on Facebook Marketplace has sparked controversy in Yucatan and across Mexico. The property,...

More than 50 pairs of tweezers found during an excavation of a 2,000-year-old Roman settlement – Romans to blame for no-body-hair trend

31 May 2023

31 May 2023

More than 50 pairs of tweezers were found during the major excavation in Wroxeter City, Shropshire, one of the largest...

The University of Aberdeen is to Return a Benin Bronze

5 April 2021

5 April 2021

Since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, Nigeria has been calling for the return of stolen Benin bronzes (including brass reliefs,...

‘Australia’s silk road’: the quarries of Mithaka Country dating back 2100 years

4 April 2022

4 April 2022

In Queensland’s remote Channel Country of red dirt and gibber rock, traditional owners and archaeologists have unearthed what researchers have...

Multiple Burials found at Çatalhöyük

17 September 2021

17 September 2021

Multiple burials were unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the house on the eastern mound of the Neolithic settlement Çatalhöyük....

2,700-year-old bronze figurine found in Germany’s Tollence River: goddess or weight?

9 April 2022

9 April 2022

A Bronze Age female figurine discovered in the Tollense River in northern Germany may have been a goddess, part of...