It has so far been believed that the invention of pottery happened about 10,000 years ago when humans moved from being hunter-gathers to farmers.
But, the new find, which has been carbon dated by a team of Chinese and American researchers, shows scorch marks which indicate it may have been used in cooking.
The discovery, the researchers said, has now pushed the invention of pottery back to the last ice age, and they are trying to understand how and why they were made, the Daily Mail reported.
Researchers believe the fragments belonged to a community of roving hunter-gatherers some 20,000 years ago and apparent scorch marks indicate they may have been used in cooking.
"We are very excited about the findings. The paper is the result of efforts done by generations of scholars," said lead study author Wu Xiaohong, a professor of archaeology and museology at Peking University.
"Now we can explore why there was pottery in that particular time, what were the uses of the vessels, and what role they played in the survival of human beings."
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The ancient fragments were discovered in the Xianrendong cave in south China's Jiangxi province, which was excavated in the 1960s and again in the 1990s, according to the article published in the journal Science.
Prof Wu said some researchers had estimated that the pieces could be 20,000 years old, but that there were doubts.
"We thought it would be impossible because the conventional theory was that pottery was invented after the transition to agriculture that allowed for human settlement."
But by 2009, the team -- which also includes experts from Harvard and Boston universities -- was able to calculate the age of the pottery fragments with such precision that the scientists were comfortable with their findings, Prof Wu said. (More)PTI SKP AKJ
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