Yangshao Culture

Synonym: Painted pottery culture

The site of the Yangshao culture was first discovered in China in 1921 as a middle stage Neolithic relic site. It is located in Yangshao Village, Mianchi County, Henan Province. The period of the Yangshao culture (5,000–7,000 years ago) was the main period of development the Chinese culture. It inherited the preceding Peiligang culture and Cishan culture and was succeeded by the Longshan culture, and it played important roles as both a successor and predecessor of other cultures and illustrates the continuous nature of China’s Central Plan culture. During the Yangshao culture period, pottery techniques progressed greatly; hence, this culture is also known as the Painted Pottery culture. Another feature was the advanced development in agriculture. In addition to the production of staple crops such as grains (e.g., rice in the south), vegetables were also grown, and domestic animals such as pigs, dogs and chickens were raised. The productivity level,...