Ancient bamboo fragments were found at the Baodun site in the Sichuan province of China during excavation works.
According to a report by ECNS, six bamboo fragments were found in the ancient town of Baodun, located in the Chengdu Plains. The discovery was made by the Chengdu Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute (CCRARI) while excavating the site. Carbon-dating the fragments revealed that they might be 4,500 years old. Investigations into the fragments suggest that they might have belonged to the Baodun culture. The Neolithic settlement existed between 2700 BCE – 1700 BCE near the Yangtze River.
The Baodun culture has been an area of interest among archaeologists and historians for many years. While the standard belief had been that the Yellow River Valley was the only ancient Chinese civilization, some evidence suggested that Baodun culture might be even older. Extant over the Chengdu plains, the inhabitants are speculated to have grown foxtail millet and rice.
Baodun houses were an example of the ancient wattle-and-daub method which used wooden frames and earthen walls to create houses. However, in the case of Baodun houses, bamboo frames and mud walls were used. The discovery would prove to be a significant milestone in proving the existence of this variation of the wattle-and-daub method, as per Tang Miao (Deputy Head, Baodun Project).
Apart from the bamboo fragments, many stoneware and pottery shards were also found at the site. ECNS also reported that the objects found were similar to the ones found at the nearby Sanxingdui excavation site recently. Historians speculate that the Sanxingdui culture was a successor to the Baodun culture.
