Ancient porcelain kiln site discovered in China's Shanxi

TAIYUAN, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A porcelain kiln site dating to the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and the early Tang Dynasty (618-907) has been found in north China's Shanxi Province, according to the provincial institute of archaeology.

The kiln site is located in an ancient town site in Jinyuan District of Taiyuan City, capital of Shanxi. The town, named Jinyang, was one of the most important localities in the Tang Dynasty.

The institute said that archaeologists discovered the kiln site last year, and after excavation, three porcelain kilns, nine pits, and several thousand porcelain pieces have been unearthed.

Archaeologists said both celadon wares and fine white-glazed porcelain wares were produced at the kiln site, which is of great significance to the study of China's porcelain wares in ancient times.

"There were very few kiln sites capable of making fine white porcelain during this period. The unearthed fragments of fine white porcelain wares demonstrate the excellent craftsmanship there," said Han Binghua, who is in charge of the excavation project.

"Porcelain kiln sites are generally separated from residential areas, but this kiln site is inside a palace, which is very intriguing," Han added.