Xi'an (China): Archaeologists have discovered 21 sites of ruins and thousands of stone tools dating back to the Palaeolithic Age - more than 20,000 years back in northwest China's Shaanxi province.
 

"Over 20,000 stone implements were unearthed from the sites near Longwangchan village, Yichuan county, during excavations," said a source with the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Institute.
 

These stone implements include fine stone cores, a millstone and other stone tools.
 

The most eye-catching discovery was a polished shovel made of shale, which is 12.7 cm long, 9.2 cm wide and 0.8 cm thick. 

Experts said the shovel was one of the most important discoveries from the Palaeolithic Age in China and estimated it to be the earliest polished stone tool ever discovered in the country. 

 
These implements would help experts study the origins and development of China's microlithic industry, archaeologists said. 

Compared with Europe, China has unearthed few decorative items from the Palaeolithic Age. 

However, the archaeologists discovered two pieces of ornaments made of clamshell - one is rectangle-shaped, 3.7 cm long and 1.6 cm wide; and the other is fan-shaped, 1.5 cm long and 1.1 cm wide.
 

These ornaments provide material evidence for studying life in late Palaeolithic times, said experts with the archaeological Institute. 

They also discovered fragments of charcoal and charred animal bones at more than 20 sites - evidence that the ancient people used fire.