Stone Age dam and infrastructure point to rise of a ‘great power’ in central China thousands of years ago

The Xiongjialing Dam was part of an extensive water management system built on a tributary of the Qingmudang River around 5,000 years ago

The Neolithic discovery at the Qujialing site in Hubei has given valuable insights into the advances of ancient civilisations

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Archeologists at the relics site of the Xiongjialing Dam in Jingmen, Hubei province. The ancient dam was built around 5,100 years ago. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 6:00pm, 8 Dec 2023

Researchers have uncovered a 5,100-year-old dam in China, part of an extensive water infrastructure system constructed by a prehistoric civilisation which was considered to be a “great power” in its time.

Dating from the Neolithic period, the Xiongjialing Dam is located in the Qujialing site in the central province of Hubei, where rice was cultivated in ancient times, state news agency Xinhua reported. It is the oldest water management system to ever be discovered in China.

The findings shed light on the advanced engineering, architecture and water management capabilities of past cultures, offering valuable insights into a cradle of Chinese civilisation along the Yangtze River – the nation’s longest waterway.

“Unearthed relics and dating data show the dam dated back to between 5,100 and 4,900 years ago. It is the earliest water conservancy facility discovered in China so far,” Tao Yang, researcher with the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, said at an archaeologist meeting on Monday.

Measuring two metres tall (6.5 feet) and 180 metres long, the Xiongjialing Dam was built on a tributary of the Qingmudang River and later expanded during the autumn and winter dry seasons, according to Tao.

The Jianghan Plain, home to the Qujialing culture, is rich in water resources with a dense river network. But due to climatic extremes, storing water while also preventing floods is crucial to living in the region, the scientist said.

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