A discovery at the Zhengjiagou archaeology site in Hebei province is offering new insights into the expansion and influence of one of China's most important Neolithic civilizations, dating from 6,500 to 5,000 years ago.

The site, located in Xuanhua district, Zhangjiakou, is home to artifacts from the Hongshan culture, which thrived between 5,000 and 6,500 years ago.

Archaeological work at the site over the past four years has revealed nine stone mound tombs, according to Gong Zhanqing, the executive leader of the excavation at the site.