A lucky visitor to Balang village in Guizhou province recently stumbled across a fossil dating back from millions of years ago, reigniting the area's passion for the ancient rarities.

Later identified as an anomalocaris, a shrimp-like creature, the fossil is one of many that have been found in the village since the beginning of its history.

According to Jianhe county's Bureau of Geology, when water was scarce many years ago people would search for it by digging and as a result unearthed so many fossils embedded into rocks that they became the patron of the village.

In 1982, Zhao Yuanlong, a professor at Guizhou University led a team to Balang village and found a large area rich in fossils belonging to ancient marine organisms of more than 120 genera which could be traced back 520 million years.

At the beginning, local villagers hindered the team's work in any possible ways to preserve their patron, however after learning the truth about fossils, the villagers offered to help.

Zhao Yuanlong claimed that the discovery at Balang in 1982, was of great significance in geology, as it was the first time fossils such as microdictyon, a type of worm, and anomalocaris had been discovered.

Fossils of ancient life can be easily found in Balang village, Jianhe county in Guizhou. [Photo/gywb.cn]

A fossil of a trilobite, an ancient arthropod, is found by a visitor. [Photo/gywb.cn]

Fossils of ancient life are easily found in the village. [Photo/gywb.cn]

Edited by Owen Fishwick