The remains of millet, pigs and dogs have been found in sites associated with the culture, which is itself defined by a thin-walled, cord-marked ceramic tradition sometimes referred to as Laoguantai.

The foundation of a large building, measuring 290 and 420 m2 (3,100 and 4,500 sq ft) when including the outer courtyard, was discovered at Dadiwan.

The building was built on an elevated rammed earth foundation, which was then layered with burnt clay.

For example, biogeochemical analyses reported in 2013 reveal that dogs living at Dadiwan from 7900–4900 cal BP likely consumed C4 carbon fixation plants throughout the year.

Therefore, this represents some of the earliest evidence for agricultural production (cultivation, harvesting, and storing of seed crops) in East Asia.