(Photo: Xinhua)

CHENGDU, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Over 500 cultural relics were unearthed at the former residence of ancient Chinese poet Su Dongpo in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the residence museum said Friday.

After three months of excavation, 50 ash pits and nine ash ditches were found at San Su Ci, or the memorial temple of the Su Family. Among them, 24 pits and seven ditches are from the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Ash pits are common archaeological remains that were formed after the earth was dug away from abandoned cellars, wells or buildings. They were used for dumping garbage, storing household items or burying sacrificial offerings and are important for studying social life in ancient China.

The relics discovered include potteries, porcelains, stone carvings and copper coins, which belong to the Song, Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, with porcelain utensils such as bowls, plates, cups, jars and bottles accounting for the largest number.

It is so far the largest excavation in the protection area of the San Su Ci museum. Some of the relics are from the mid and late Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), which accord with the time when Su Xun and his two sons, Su Zhe and Su Shi (also known as Su Dongpo) lived in Meishan.

Located in the city of Meishan in Sichuan, San Su Ci is the former residence of Su Xun and his two sons, three famous litterateurs of the Northern Song Dynasty.