Archaeologists from the Shanxi Archaeology Institute work to clean what is considered to be foundation ruins for homes built 4,500 years ago in Pianguan county, Shanxi province.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The closest hamlet to the site is Tianfengping village, home to about 300 farmers who live a hand-to-mouth life. They plant millet and beans.

Yang Liuzhen, a 59-year-old villager of Tianfengping, says life is simple here. He often takes a break from his arduous farm work on the top of the mountain where the ruins are located near his farmland.

"I often take a break there. It is a place with good views," Yang says.

Yang often played with other children on the top of the mountain when he was young. "I didn't know it used to be home to people more than 4,500 years ago," he says.

Even the senior residents in the village had no idea of the secrets hidden there, the villagers say.

Yang was employed by the archaeologists to remove the surface dust from the mountain top. "To my surprise, I soon found bones and ceramic chips," says Yang.

A road was built connecting the village with the outside world in 2018, shortening the time it took villagers to travel 15 kilometers from one day to half an hour.

Zang Jianying, head of the Tianfengping township authority, says the discovery of the site is actually a "consequence" of the road, as it was found by the builders.

"The excavation was then approved by the National Cultural Heritage Administration," says Zang.

The villagers hope the development of the site in the future can help to bring them more visitors and boost tourism.