Excavations at the Doushan site in Wuxi City have uncovered remains of an ancient city dating back about 6,000 years ago, which was in the period of Majiabang Culture, according to the Jiangsu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.

This discovery marks the earliest known prehistoric city site discovered in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The Majiabang Culture, named after the Majiabang site in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, dates to approximately 5,800-7,000 years ago. It is regarded as the earliest Neolithic culture found in the Jiangnan region and is hailed as the "source of Jiangnan culture."

Previously, the oldest city site discovered in the lower Yangtze River area was the Liangzhu Ancient City site, dating back about 5,000 years.

Discovered in 2023, the Doushan site spans an area of about 250,000 square metres. To date, a joint archaeological team has excavated 194 tombs and 13 house sites, unearthing nearly 1,800 cultural relics, including pottery, stone tools, jade artefacts, porcelain, and bronze items.