Archaeologists have found a cicada-shaped jade product in Central China that is more than 3600 years old.
The researchers made this discovery during the excavation of one of the burials at the site of the palaces of the Erlitou settlement, which is located in the city of Yanshi, Henan province.
Many scholars believe that Erlitou, which is the standard for highlighting the archaeological culture of the same name, was the capital of the Xia dynasty, which ruled, according to one of the popular versions, from 2070 to 1600. BC.
The find, which is 4 cm long, was placed in the center of the grave, said Zhao Haitao, a researcher at the Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, head of the archaeological project.
In ancient times, people may have associated the molting and metamorphosis of insects with some mysterious force, and therefore the cicada made of stone was intended for communication with the gods, the scientist believes.
According to Zhao Haitao, in terms of the number of burial items, the named burial may surpass the analogs previously excavated in the settlement.
In addition to the jade "cicada", ceramics and lacquerware, archaeologists also found many turquoise jewelry in this burial.
Earlier in burial number 3, a 70-centimeter dragon made of 2,000 turquoise ornaments was discovered, which is the earliest known evidence of a dragon totem of the Chinese nation.