Without a guide, it is difficult to find Xiantouling village near east Shenzhen's Dapeng Bay. Few people have heard of it and fewer have visited, but hidden in the forests skirting the village, archaeologists have unearthed what they believe to be the cradle of the Pearl River Delta civilisation.
The discovery of a 20,000 sq metre neolithic site was so significant that the Chinese Society of Archaeology selected it as one of the 10 most important on the mainland last year.
Not only has it shed light on the little-known people living in the prehistoric delta, the find also suggests that Shenzhen - usually described as the nation's cultural desert - could be the root of civilisation in south China.
The site has yielded more than 300 artefacts, mainly pottery and stone tools, and archaeologists say they display a high level of sophistication by ancient people living in what is now Guangdong.
They also say the treasures buried in Xiantouling could change the belief that Shenzhen is just a modern city with little cultural heritage.
Descriptions of the booming trade city had dated its history back less than 30 years, when it began transforming itself from a sleepy fishing village to a special economic zone. But Shenzhen Museum deputy director Ye Yang said the discovery puts Shenzhen's history back 7,000 years.
