Yangshao Village Cultural Site

Yangshao Village Cultural Site

The Yangshao Village Cultural Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Yangshao Village site is located in Yangshao Village, about 8 kilometers north of Mianchi County, Henan Province.

Yangshao Village is an ordinary village, but on the terrace to the south of the village, an important Neolithic site in China—Yangshao Site—was discovered. The site is surrounded by water on three sides, backed by Shaoshan Mountain to the north, covering an area of approximately 300,000 square meters, with cultural deposits up to 4 meters thick. In 1921, Swedish scholar Johan Gunnar Andersson conducted research here and discovered the site, which attracted great attention from the historical academic community. In 1931, Chinese archaeologist Liang Siyong first identified the stratified sequence of Shang Dynasty culture, Longshan culture, and Yangshao culture at the Hougang site in Anyang, confirming the chronological order of these cultures. This was of significant importance.

In 1951, the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences conducted large-scale excavations at the Yangshao Village site, obtaining abundant archaeological data. According to carbon-14 dating, the site dates back approximately 5,000 to 6,000 years. Artifacts unearthed include stone axes, stone spades, stone hoes, spinning wheels, bone awls, bone needles, as well as pottery items such as bowls, basins, cups, and jars used in daily life, most of which were decorated with painted patterns. Because this culture was first discovered in Yangshao Village, it was named "Yangshao Culture."

Yangshao Culture is one of the most influential cultures in the Yellow River basin and is the most widely distributed Neolithic culture of its time across China. Centered in Henan, Shaanxi, and southern Shanxi, it extends westward to the Hexi Corridor in Gansu, eastward to western Shandong, northward to central Hebei and the Hetao region of Inner Mongolia, and southward to the Han River basin. To date, more than 1,000 Yangshao Culture sites have been discovered, and the culture has a long duration.

The early Yangshao period dates back approximately 7,000 years, while the late period dates back about 5,000 years, spanning a total of 2,000 years. Such a powerful prehistoric culture is extremely rare among Neolithic cultures worldwide.

The Yangshao Culture site showcases the social structure and cultural achievements of Chinese matrilineal clans during their period of prosperity and decline. By that time, people had freed themselves from the dominance of nature and began leading settled lives, as evidenced by the excavation of the Jiangzhai settlement site in Lintong, Shaanxi. In addition to hoe-based agriculture, fishing, hunting, gathering, and animal husbandry were also major sources of livelihood.

The most representative aspect of Yangshao Culture’s craftsmanship is its pottery-making techniques. Pottery production was already quite advanced at the time, with some regions beginning to use wheel-throwing methods. Pottery surfaces were adorned with decorative patterns in red, black, white, and other colors, making it the most accomplished form of primitive art at the time. As a result, Yangshao Culture is also known as "Painted Pottery Culture" around the world.

In March 1961, the Yangshao Village Cultural Site was designated by the State Council as one of the first batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Yangshao Town: A township under the jurisdiction of Mianchi County. Established as Zhuangzi Commune in 1975, renamed Yangshao Commune in 1982, and changed to a township in 1984. Located to the north of the county seat, adjacent to Chengguan Town. It covers an area of 34 square kilometers, with a population of 15,000. The township administers ten village committees: Malin, Zhuangzi, Liuguo, Yangguang, Lizhuangzhai, Peiyao, Dongcun, Qiaoling, Sumen, and Yangshao. The main agricultural products are wheat, corn, tobacco, and vegetables, with abundant apple production. Livestock farming has reached a considerable scale. Township enterprises are primarily engaged in brewing, refractory materials, building materials, and papermaking. The Yangshao Cultural Site within the territory is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. …… More details about Yangshao Town ++

Further Reading:

· First Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units