Cishan Site

　　 This site is a famous early Neolithic site in North China. Discovered in 1973, it predates the Yangshao Culture, dating back approximately 5400–5100 BCE. The cultural deposits at the site are extremely rich and exhibit distinctive local characteristics, making it crucial for studying the origins of the Yangshao Culture and tracing even earlier Neolithic cultural remains. Due to its typical nature, the culture type discovered here has been named "Cishan Culture." To date, over ten sites belonging to the Cishan Culture have been found across central and southern Hebei, stretching from Wuan to Rongcheng.

　　 Agriculture was the main mode of production at the time. Two house foundations were found at the site, both semi-subterranean structures. More than 460 pits were unearthed around the foundations, and carbonized millet was found in 80 of them, with some accumulations over two meters thick. Production tools such as stone axes, stone knives, stone sickles, stone shovels, and stone grinding plates for processing grain were widely used at the site. People at that time had already learned to domesticate poultry and livestock such as chickens, pigs, and dogs. In addition, fishing, hunting, and gathering still played significant roles in the economy.

　　 Pottery making was one of the hallmarks of Cishan Culture. Pottery was made using the coil-building and hand-molding techniques, resulting in vessels that were not very regular in shape. Sandy red pottery was more common, and vessel types mainly included everyday items such as cups, bowls, plates, basins, three-legged vessels, double-handled pots, jars, and dou (food containers). The surfaces of the pottery were decorated with cord marks, grid patterns, combing patterns, and nipple-like designs. The craftsmanship was rather crude, far inferior to the wheel-made pottery of the Yangshao Culture. (Source: National Cultural Heritage Administration)