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           The Daxi culture (大溪文化) (5000 BC- 3000 BC) was a Neolithic culture centered in the Three Gorges region, around the middle Yangtze River, China. The culture ranged from western Hubei to eastern Sichuan and the Pearl River Delta. The site at Daxi, located in the Qutang Gorge around Wushan, Chongqing,was discovered by Nels C. Nelson in the 1920s. Many key archaeological sites from the Daxi culture, including the site at Daxi, will be inundated or destroyed after the completion of the Three Gorges Dam.Daxi sites are typified by the presence of dou (cylindrical bottles), white pan (plates), and red pottery. The Daxi people cultivated rice extensively. Daxi sites were some of the earliest in China to show evidence of moats and walled settlements.The Daxi culture showed evidence of cultural interactions with the Yangtze River Delta region. The white pan artefacts from the culture were discovered at several Yangtze River Delta sites, including the type site at Majiabang. Conversely, jade artefacts at Daxi sites show possible influence from the Yangtze River Delta region. The Daxi culture was followed by the Qujialing culture.

           The Majiabang culture (馬家浜文化) was a Neolithic culture that existed at the mouth of the Yangtze River, primarily around the Taihu area and north of Hangzhou Bay in China. The culture was spread throughout southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang from around 5000 BC to 3000 BC. Initially, archaeologists had considered the Majiabang sites and sites in northern Jiangsu to be part of the same culture, naming it the Qingliangang culture. Archaeologists later realized that the northern Jiangsu sites were of the Dawenkou culture and renamed the southern Jiangsu sites as the Majiabang culture. The Majiabang culture coexisted with the Hemudu culture for over a thousand years as two separate and distinct cultures, with cultural transmissions between the two cultures.Majiabang people cultivated rice. At Caoxieshan, a site of the Majiabang culture, archaeologists excavated paddy fields . However, faunal remains excavated from Majiabang archaeological sites indicated that people had domesticated pigs. In addition, the remain of sika and roe deer have been found, showing that people were not totally reliant on agricultural production. Archaeological sites also bear evidence that Majiabang people produced jade ornaments.

        The Yangshao culture (Chinese: 仰韶文化; pinyin: Yǎngsháo wénhuà) 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 flourished mainly in the provinces of Henan, Shaanxi and Shanxi.

Subsistence

            The subsistence practices of Yangshao people were varied. They cultivated millet extensively; some villages also cultivated wheat or rice. The exact nature of Yangshao agriculture -- small-scale slash-and-burn cultivation versus intensive agriculture in permanent fields, is currently matter of debate. However, Middle Yangshao settlements such as Jiangzhi contain raised floor buildings that may have been used for the storage of surplus grains. 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.

Pottery

      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.

Archaeological sites

            The archaeological site of Banpo village, near Xi'an, is one of the best-known ditch-enclosed settlements of the Yangshao culture. Another major settlement called Jiangzhai(姜寨) was excavated out to its limits, and archaeologists found that it
was completely surrounded by a ring-ditch. Both Banpo and Jiangzhai also yielded controversial incised marks on pottery which a few have interpreted as numerals or perhaps precursors to the Chinese script. However, such conclusions may be premature .

Phases

            Among the numerous overlapping phases of the Yangshao culture, the
most prominent phases, typified by differing styles of pottery, include:

• Banpo phase, approximately 4800 BC to 4200 BC, central plane
• Miaodigou phase, circa 4000 BC to 3000 BC, successor to Banpo
• Majiayao phase, approximately 3300 BC to 2000 BC, in Gansu, Qinghai
• Banshan phase, approximately 2700 BC to 2300 BC, successor to Majiayao
• Machang phase, approximately 2400 BC to 2000 BC

           The Hongshan culture (simplified Chinese: 红山文化; traditional Chinese: 紅山文化; pinyin: hóngshān wénhuà) was a Neolithic culture in northeastern China. Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching from Inner Mongolia to Liaoning and Hebei, and dated from about 4700 BC to 2900 BC. 

             The culture is named after Hongshanhou (simplified Chinese: 红山後; traditional Chinese: 紅山後; pinyin: hóngshānhòu), a site in Hongshan District, Hongshan District, Chifeng. The Hongshanhou site was discovered by the Japanese archaeologist Torii Ryūzō in 1908 and extensively excavated in 1935 by Hamada Kosaku and Mizuno Seiichi.

 Jade

             Hongshan grave goods include some of the earliest known examples of Chinese jade working; the Hongshan culture is known for its jade pig dragons. Clay figurines, including figurines of pregnant women, are also found throughout Hongshan sites.

Copper

Small copper rings were excavated.

Religion

          The archaeological site at Niuheliang is a unique ritual complex associated with the Hongshan culture.Excavators have discovered an underground temple complex -- which included an altar -- and also cairns in Niuheliang. The temple was constructed of stone platforms, with painted walls. Archaeologists have given it the name Goddess Temple due to the discovery of a clay female head with jade inlaid eyes. It was an underground structure, 1m deep. Included on its walls are mural paintings.Housed inside the Goddess Temple are clay figurines as large as three times the size of real-life humans. The exceedingly large figurines are possibly deities, but for a religion not reflective in any other Chinese culture.The existence of complex trading networks and monumental architecture (such as pyramids and the Goddess Temple) point to the existence of a "chiefdom" in these prehistoric communies.Painted pottery was also discovered within the temple.Over 60 nearby tombs have been unearthed, all constructed of stone and covered by stone mounds, frequently including jade artifacts.

Cairns were discovered atop two nearby two hills, with either round or square
stepped tombs, made of piled limestone. Tombed inside were sculptures
of dragons and tortoises.It has been suggested that religious sacrifice might have been performed within the Hongshan culture.

 Feng shui

        Just as suggested by evidence found at early Yangshao culture sites, Hongshan culture sites also provide the earliest evidence for Feng shui.The presence of both round and square shapes at Hongshan culture ceremonial centers suggests an early presence of the gaitian cosmography (heaven-round, earth-square).Early Feng shui relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and the universe.

             The Dawenkou culture (Chinese: 大汶口文化; pinyin: dàwènkǒu wénhuà) is a name given by archaeologists to a group of Neolithic communities who lived primarily in Shandong, but also appeared in Anhui, Henan and Jiangsu, China. The culture existed from 4100 BC to 2600 BC, co-existing with the Yangshao culture. Turquoise, jade and ivory artefacts are commonly found at Dawenkou sites. The earliest examples of alligator drums appear at Dawenkou sites.Archaeologists commonly divide the culture into three phases: the early phase (4100-3500 BC), the middle phase (3500-3000 BC) and the late phase (3000-2600 BC).Based on the evidence from grave goods, the early phase was highly egalitarian. The phase is typified by the presence of individually
designed, long-stemmed cups (gu). Graves built with earthern ledges became increasingly common during the latter parts of the early phase. During the middle phase, grave goods began to emphasize quantity over diversity. During the late phase, wooden coffins began to appear in Dawenkou burials. The culture became increasingly stratified, as some graves contained no grave goods while others contained a large
quantity of grave goods.The type site at Dawenkou, located in Tai'an,Shandong, was excavated in 1959, 1974 and 1978. Only the middle layer at Dawenkou is associated with the Dawenkou culture, as the earliest layer corresponds to the Beixin culture and the latest layer corresponds to the early Shandong variant of the Longshan culture.

              The Liangzhu culture (Chinese: 良渚文化; pinyin: liángzhǔ wénhuà) (3400-2250 BC) was the last Neolithic jade culture in the Yangtze River Delta of China. Its area of influence extended from Lake Tai in the north to Nanjing and Shanghai in the east and Hangzhou in the south. The culture was highly stratified, as jade, silk, ivory and lacquer artifacts were found exclusively in elite burials, while pottery was more commonly found. The type site at Liangzhu was discovered in Yuhang County, Zhejiang and initially excavated by Shi Xingeng in 1936.Advanced agriculture included irrigation, paddy rice cultivation and aquaculture. Houses were often constructed with stilts on rivers or shorelines.The jade from this culture is characterized by finely worked large ritual jades, commonly incised with the taotie motif. The most exemplary artefacts from the culture were its cong (cylinders). The largest cong discovered weighed 3.5 kg. Bi (discs) and Yue axes(ceremonial axes) were also found. Jade pendants were also found,designed with engraved representations of small birds, turtles and fish. Many Liangzhu jade artefacts had a white milky bone-like aspect due to its tremolite rock origin and influence of water-based fluids at the burial sites, although jade made from actinolite and serpentine were also commonly found.A neolithic altar from the Liangzhu culture, excavated at Yaoshan in Zhejiang, demonstrate that religious structures were elaborate and made of carefully positioned piles of stones and rock walls, indicating that religion was of considerable importance. The altar has three levels, the highest being a platform of rammed earth.Three additional platforms were paved with cobblestones. There are the remains of a stone wall. On the altar are twelve graves in two rows.A new disovery of ancient city wall base relics was announced by the Zhejiang provincial government on Nov 29, 2007. All those previously identified relics were parts of city construction. It was concluded the site was the ancient capital of the Liangzhu Kingdom, whose influnce spread as far as modern-day Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Shandong Provinces.

          The Majiayao culture (馬家窰文化) is a name given by archaeologists to a group of Neolithic communities who lived primarily in the upper Yellow River region in Gansu and Qinghai, China. The culture existed from 3100 BC to 2700 BC. The earliest discoveries of copper and bronze objects in China occur at Majiayao sites.

           The Qujialing culture (屈家嶺文化) (3000-2600 BC) was a Neolithic civilisation centered primarily around the middle Yangtze River region in Hubei and Hunan, China. The culture succeeded the Daxi culture and reached southern Shaanxi, northern Jiangxi and southwest Henan.Artefact types unique to the culture include ceramic balls and painted spindle whorls; the later was inherited by the succeeding Shijiahe culture. The type site at Qujialing was discovered in Jingshan County, Hubei, China. The site was excavated from 1955 to 1957.The remains of chickens, dogs, pigs and sheep were discovered at the site. The remains of fish were discovered in ten storage pits. Egg
shell pottery and tripods were also discovered at the site.Many of the artefacts from the culture are located in the Hubei Provincial Museum.

             Longshan culture (Chinese: 龍山文化; pinyin: Lóngshān wénhuà) was a late Neolithic culture in China, centered on the central and lower Yellow River and dated from about 3000 BC to 2000 BC. Longshan culture is named after Longshan of eastern Jinan in Shandong Province, the first archaeological find and excavated site of this culture.The distinctive feature of Longshan culture was the high level of skill in pottery making,including the use of pottery wheels. Longshan culture was noted for its
highly polished black pottery (or egg-shell pottery). This type of thin-walled and polished black pottery has also been discovered in the Yangzi River valley and as far as the southeastern coast of China proper. It is a clear indication that neolithic agricultural sub-groups of the greater Longshan Culture had spread out across China proper.Life during the Longshan culture marked a transition to the establishment of cities, as rammed earth walls and moats began to appear; the site at Taosi is the largest walled Longshan settlement. Rice cultivation was clearly established by that time. Small-scale production of silk by raising and domesticating bombyx mori in early sericulture was also known.The Neolithic population in China reached its peak during the Longshan culture. Toward the end of the Longshan culture, the
population decreased sharply; this was matched by the disappearance of
high-quality black pottery found in ritual burials.

   The early period of the Longshan culture is considered to be 3000 to 2600 BC, while the late period is 2600 to 2000 BC.A variety of geographic regions of China are involved among the various sub-periods of the Longshan civilisation, particularly for the Late Longshan period. For example middle reaches of the Jing River and Wei River evince settlement known as the Shaanxi Longshan.The Wei River valley would participate in key historic events in China as the North Silk Road developed in that same area.

           The Baodun culture (traditional Chinese: 寶墩文化; simplified Chinese: 宝墩文化; pinyin: Bǎodūn wénhuà) (2800-2000 BC^[1]) was a Neolithic culture centered on the Chengdu Plain in Sichuan, China. Recently discovered, six settlements from the culture have been found: the type site at Baodun in Xinjin County, the site at Mangcheng in Dujiangyan City, the site at Yufu in Wenjiang County, the site at Zizhu in Chongzhou, the site at Shuanghe in Chongzhou and the site in Pi County. The type site at Baodun is the largest, and covers an area of around 600,000 m². All of the settlements straddled the Min River.The settlement walls were covered with pebbles, a feature unique to the Baodun culture. The pottery from the culture share some similarities
with Sanxingdui.

             The Shijiahe culture (石家河文化) (2500-2000 BC) was a late Neolithic culture centered around the middle Yangtze River region in Hubei, China. It succeeded the Qujialing culture in the same region and inherited its unique artefact of painted spindle whorls. Pottery figurines and distinct jade worked with advanced
techniques were also common to the culture. The remains of copper ore
and artefacts were discovered in one Shijiahe settlement.The type site was discovered at Tianmen County, Hubei, China. The upper layer of the type site belonged to the
Qujialing culture. The site at Shijiahe covered an area of around 1,200,000 m². The settlement was surrounded by a moat and rammed earth wall. The type site was likely a regional center.Shijiahe is one of the largest towns excavated so far—almost a perfect square, one kilometer on each side. This was a period in which villages and towns expanded symmetrically in oval, square, rectangle and trapezoid shapes.

          The Erlitou culture (simplified Chinese: 二里头文化 traditional Chinese: 二里頭文化 pinyin: èrlǐtóu wénhuà) (2100 BC to 1800 BC or 1500 BC) is a name given by archaeologists to an Early Bronze Age society that existed in China. The culture was named after the site discovered at Erlitou in Yanshi, Henan Province. The culture was widely spread throughout Henan and Shanxi Province, and later appeared in Shaanxi and Hubei Province. Most Chinese archaeologists identify the Erlitou culture as the site of the Xia Dynasty, while most Western archaeologists remain unconvinced of the connection between the Erlitou culture and the Xia Dynasty since there are no
extant written records linking Erlitou with the official history.Discovered in 1959, Erlitou is the largest site associated with the Erlitou culture at 3 km². Erlitou monopolized the production of ritual bronze vessels.After the rise of the Shang Dynasty, the site at Erlitou greatly diminished in size, but remained inhabited during the early phase of the Shang Dynasty.The Erlitou culture may have evolved from the Longshan culture. Originally centered around Henan and Shanxi Province, the culture later spread to Shaanxi and Hubei Province.

List of Paleolithic sites in China

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Paleolithic Lower Paleolithic Homo control of fire, stone tools Middle Paleolithic Homo neanderthalensis Homo sapiens out of Africa Upper Paleolithic behavioral modernity, atlatl, dog Mesolithic microliths, bow, canoes Neolithic Pre-Pottery Neolithic farming, animal husbandry, polished stone tools Pottery Neolithic pottery Chalcolithic metallurgy, horse, wheel
↓ Bronze Age

This is an alphabetical list of Paleolithic sites or cultures in China:

• Bailiangdong
• Baojiyan
• Bose
• Chaoxian Cave
• Damaidi
• Dingcun
• Dhingri
• Donggutuo
• Fulin
• Huanxian
• Huohuoxili
• Hutouliang
• Jianping
• Lunan
• Malan