Unique Pig-Shaped Figurine Found In East China Was Probably A Child’s Toy 6,000-Years Ago

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - A unique hog-shaped pottery item - probably a child's toy approximately 6,000 years ago, was unearthed in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The pottery pig was found during excavations at a Neolithic site of the Ma'an Relics in the city of Wuxi.

This photo taken on June 2, 2023 shows the pottery pig discovered at a Neolithic site of the Ma'an Relics in the city of Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province. Photo: Xinhua

At the site, archaeologists recently excavated two tombs dating back to over 6,000 years. A total of 26 tombs with the primeval occupants dated to the period of the Majiabang Culture of the Neolithic Age were previously uncovered in the  Ma'an Relics of Wuxi.

”Out of these, 20 tombs have been excavated in the wild, revealing various relics such as stoneware, pottery and jade ware,” reported Focac.

The remaining six tombs were relocated to a cabin lab belonging to the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences for further study.

Recently discovered pottery item in the form of a pig, has the size of a child's fist. The pottery pig has several holes and seems to have pottery beads inside its hollowed body, "Li Yiquan, vice head of the Wuxi institute of cultural relics and archaeology, said to Xinhua.

"Pig-shaped pottery sculptures have been unearthed at other prehistoric sites, but we have not seen such hollow pottery pigs before," informed Li.

According to researchers pigs might have been domesticated in this area 6,000 years ago.
Now, further research is needed to see whether this poriferous pig can be blown like a whistle.

Archaeologists have unearthed more than 260 items including stone, pottery and jade ware from the Ma'an Relics site, which spans multiple dynasties in Chinese history.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer