Stone Age Rice Fields Discovered in China Swamp

An 8,000-year-old dugout canoe, pottery made with wild rice as a bonding material, wood and bamboo tools, and the bones of dogs and pigs were also found.

Zong's team analyzed the sediments of the ancient swamp for signs of rice paddies.

The researchers found the land was deliberately managed for rice growing.

Fire was used to clear scrub, while flood-prevention measures helped keep brackish water from getting into the fields, the study suggests.