Xianren Cave

Xianren Cave (also spelled Xianrendong) is a Paleolithic archaeological site in Jiangxi province, China, noted for very early pottery finds recovered in stratified deposits.

The site itself is primarily of scientific and archaeological interest rather than a developed tourist attraction; publications about the cave focus on its long sequence of prehistoric occupation and the evidence for early ceramic technology. Displays and research draw attention to stone tools, hearth features and ceramic fragments recovered from deep cultural layers.

Archaeological excavations at Xianren Cave uncovered layered deposits containing stone tools, hearths and pottery shards that have been radiocarbon dated to the Late Pleistocene, indicating human use of the cave and early ceramic manufacture well before the Holocene. The finds have influenced discussions of the origins and timing of pottery in East Asia.

The cave lies in Jiangxi province in southeast China; it is inland within the province’s karst and hill country and is known primarily to archaeologists and researchers rather than as a general tourist destination.

• Ancient pottery: Excavations recovered ceramic fragments dated to roughly 20,000 years ago, among the oldest known pottery finds in the world.