More than 500 artifacts from different periods are on display at the Shanghai Museum. Provided to China Daily

Tong Shuyun, a 12-year-old visitor, is impressed by a clay pot that was made some 6,000 years ago. The globular jar with a star-shaped lid was a hollow ball at first.

Prehistoric settlers in Shanghai carved the star-shaped part as a lid, dried the two parts separately, then put them together - a jar with a lid was completed and the two parts matches perfectly.

Photos: History revealed through archaeological discoveries

"I just wonder how they came up with the idea of making a jar with lid in this way? The first man or woman who made it must had been an inventor, and the jar is so beautiful," Tong says.

The ivory scepter with mythical patterns and animal masks is another highlight of the exhibition.

Considering the lack of sharp tools to carve out details on the ivory, it took the early man great effort and time to complete exquisite designs on the 97-centimeter object, says Song Jian, an archaeologist and researcher at the Shanghai Museum.

People would think that people who lived that long ago must have spent all their time hunting for food or cultivating, he says.

"In fact, our ancestors spent significant time and effort to create objects reflecting their spiritual world. They had great minds for beauty and intelligence," Song says, pointing out to objects that filled in spaces at a time when text wasn't in use.

IF YOU GO

Shanghai Museum

9 am-5 pm (last entry at 4 pm), until Aug 31.

201 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu district, Shanghai.

021-6372-3500.

Free Admission.

www.shanghaimuseum.net