The semi-subterranean house was discovered at the Neolithic ruins in Taoyuan, a village in the city of Linfen in Shanxi Province, Xinhua news agency reported.
The house has a total area of 90 square meters, with surviving walls reaching a maximum of 50 cm, Xue Xinming, a researcher from Shanxi Institute of Archaeology, told Xinhua.
The walls inside were made with a mixture of grass and mud. Several holes were found where wooden pillars were located to support the house and walls, said Xue. A cylinder-shaped fireplace was also found underground in the house, which ancient people used for heating, cooking and lighting.
According to Xue, the pentagonal building is rare and very large for that period.
"Such a big building perhaps was an office of a tribe leader or a public venue for meetings or worship ceremonies," he said, adding the house was the first of its kind found in Shanxi Province.
