The discovery of the relics site of a major city dating back about 3,700 years marks a major breakthrough in archaeological research on the Xia Dynasty (2070 BC-1600 BC), China's earliest known dynasty, authorities said. The Baliqiao archaeological site, located in Fangcheng County in the city of Nanyang, central China's Henan Province, shows enormous similarity to the Erlitou ruins, a previously excavated ground-breaking site that was identified by archaeologists as one of the capital cities during the Xia Dynasty. The similarity between the two sites indicates the influence of the Xia Dynasty on the Baliqiao site, according to archaeologists. The multi-grid Baliqiao site, occupying an area of 1.35 million square meters in total, has seen 1,800 square meters excavated since 2022 when systematic archaeological work at the site commenced. "The Baliqiao site shows a high degree of similarity to the Erlitou ruins in terms of layout, functional zoning, pottery assemblages, artifacts and people's spiritual lif e," said Liang Fawei, deputy head of the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, adding that the Baliqiao site is a significant regional center during the southward expansion of Xia Dynasty culture. (QNA) Source: Qatar News Agency