Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has announced the country's top six archaeological discoveries of 2009. Among them are the Neolithic Ruins at Dongshan Village in eastern Jiangsu province. The site has evidence of the earliest Chinese civilization ever found.

The Neolithic Ruins at Dongshan Village allows us to better understand prehistoric culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The size of the excavation covers more than 2,000 square meters. It's divided into two parts: the eastern area where eight tombs have been found with over 200 pieces of jade, stone vessels and pottery and the western part where a number of small tombs and house ruins have been discovered.

All the tombs are strictly organized into social levels. It's the earliest proof of China's ancient hierarchy system. The discovery of these tombs has pushed the research of the tribe in the era of the Songze culture forward.

It offers hope that the origin of the culture and economic development of Taihu Lake and its surrounding area will be found.