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An archaeological site in Shaoxing, with the flagged area marking the newly discovered sacrificial remains. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

Archaeologists have uncovered high-level sacrificial remains of the ancient Yue state for the first time in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, marking a major breakthrough in the city's archaeological research.

According to experts at a seminar on archaeological findings held on Oct 20, the discovery provides the first archaeological evidence of the Yue state's ritual system and ceremonial evolution. Artifacts excavated from layered foundations trace human settlement in Shaoxing back 6,000 years.

The excavation also confirmed the existence of large Yue state building foundations in Shaoxing's ancient city for the first time. Carbon-14 dating indicates that the remains are around 2,500 years old, corroborating historical records describing King Goujian's establishment of the Yue capital and revealing new clues about the city's layout.

Since July last year, the Shaoxing Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has conducted excavations covering an area of 3,600 square meters. The dig uncovered 345 relics, 2,699 small artifacts, and over a 1,000 boxes of samples.

On the northern side of the excavation area, archaeologists found remains of metalworking from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) to Six Dynasties (222-589), including mirror molds and Wuzhu coin molds. These findings provide new insights into the bronze-casting and coin-minting techniques of the era and serve as crucial evidence of metallurgical technology's southward spread during the Han Dynasty.

Situated in the city center, these layered cultural remains, from the Neolithic period to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), form a rich underground record of Shaoxing's 6,000 years of continuous civilization.