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ZHEJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA—A woven mat discovered at a wet Neolithic site in east China has been dated to about 7,000 years ago, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency. That’s more than 2,000 years older than silk textiles discovered in Zhejiang Province, and 1,000 years older than fabric unearthed in Jiangsu Province, to the north. No grain residue was detected on the flat, reed mat. “Our guess is that our ancestors used it as a cover or bedding. Its exact use is open to discussion,” said Zhang Jianping of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. To read about discoveries in China dating back 20,000 years, go to "The First Pots."
