Yangshao culture
The
Yangshao culture () was a
Neolithic culture that existed extensively along the central
Yellow River in
China. The Yangshao culture is dated from around
5000 BC to
3000 BC. The culture is named after Yangshao, the first excavated representative village of this culture, which was discovered in
1921 in
Henan Province. The culture fluorished mainly in the provinces of Henan,
Shaanxi and
Shanxi.
The Yangshao people cultivated
millet extensively; some villages also cultivated
wheat or
rice. They kept such animals as
pigs and
dogs, as well as
sheep,
goats, and
cattle, but much of their meat came from hunting and fishing. Their stone tools were polished and highly specialized. The Yangshao people may also have practiced an early form of
silkworm cultivation.
The Yangshao culture is well-known for its painted
pottery. Yangshao artisans created fine white, red, and black painted pottery with human facial, animal, and geometric designs. Unlike the later
Longshan culture, the Yangshao culture did not use pottery wheels in pottery-making. Excavations found that children were buried in painted pottery jars.
The archaeological site of
Banpo village, near
Xi'an, is one of the best-known sites related to Yangshao culture.
*
Dawenkou culture*
Majiayao culture* Liu, Li.
The Chinese Neolithic: Trajectories to Early States, ISBN 0521811848
