KUNMING -- Archeologists said Wednesday they have unearthed the ruins of an ancient village that dated back at least 2,500 years at an excavation site in the southwestern Yunnan Province.

Researchers with the Yunnan Institute of Heritage and Archeology found ?ruins of 20 houses, ranging from 15 to 25 square meters each and built in four rows, in Chengjiang County, said Jiang Zhilong, an archeologist with the excavation team.

Inside the houses they found earthenware pieces, bronze and stone implements and animal bones, he said.

Jiang said most of the houses are believed to have been homes but a few were possibly workshops.

Jiang and his teammates also found 20 tombs near the houses, some of which had human bones inside.

The site was first discovered in 2009 and covers at least 10,000 square meters. The first phase of excavation began at the end of last year, covering 1,900 square meters. The excavation is expected to end soon.