DOI Artikel:
Xing-guang, Wang: On the farm tools and techniques in the Peiligang culture period of the Yellow River Valley in China
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49004#0119
ON THE FARM TOOLS AND
TECHNIQUES
IN THE PEILIGANG CULTURE PERIOD OF
THE YELLOW RIVER VALLEY IN CHINA
By
Wang Xing-guang
Henan Province, located in the middle and
lower reaches of the Yellow River, is one of
the centres of origin of Chinese agriculture
(Fig. 1). The Swedish scholar, Johan Gunnar
Andersson (1874-1960), first discovered the
Yangshao Neolithic site in Western Henan
Province in 1921. This gave its name to the
Yangshao Culture, of which more than 800
sites have been found in Henan Province over
the last 70 years (Fig. 2). Radio-carbon dating
indicates a chronology for the Yangshao Cul-
ture of 7000-5000 years BP. It was considered
a very important one for the Middle Neo-
lithic Period. From polished stone axes,
painted pottery etc, discovered at village sites
there, it can be seen that agriculture had de-
veloped quietly into the “spade-tillage” Pe-
riod, with the economy depending chiefly on
agriculture, though fishing, hunting and gath-
ering remained as important subsistence
sources.
The Yangshao culture went under about
2000 years BP ago and was followed by the
Longshan Culture Period, represented by
about 1000 sites in Henan Province (Fig. 3). It
was first found at the town of Longshan,
Zhangqiu Conty, Shandong County, Shan-
dong Province, located on the east of Henan
Province. It is a later Neolithic culture of
4800 to 2000 years BP ago. Well polished
stone tools and even a few bronzes were un-
earthed, showing that agriculture and animal
husbandry had reached a high level in those
days. With the development of Chinese ar-
chaeology, people are becoming more and
more interested in the sources of the Yang-
shao Culture, because there is a long gap be-
tween it and the end of the Palaeolithic,
which hinders further research on the origin
and earlier stages of Chinese agriculture. But
by good luck, two early Neolithic sites were
found in 1976-77.
One is Cishan Site, discovered in Cishan
village, Wuan county, Hebei province
(MICRH, 1977), located to the north of He-
nan Province and the other is Peiligang vil-
lage, Xinzheng county, Henan Province
(MCCRK, 1978). It was given the name Peili-
gang Culture, which is earlier than the Yang-
shao Culture. 105 sites of the Peiligang Cul-
ture have been found in Henan Province
(Sun, 1992) (Fig. 4). This discovery has filled
in a part of the gaps in studies of cultures of
the early Neolithic Period and has also cre-
ated more favourable conditions for research
into agriculture in that Period.
I. The general situation of the
Peiligang Culture
The Peiligang Culture is distributed mainly
TECHNIQUES
IN THE PEILIGANG CULTURE PERIOD OF
THE YELLOW RIVER VALLEY IN CHINA
By
Wang Xing-guang
Henan Province, located in the middle and
lower reaches of the Yellow River, is one of
the centres of origin of Chinese agriculture
(Fig. 1). The Swedish scholar, Johan Gunnar
Andersson (1874-1960), first discovered the
Yangshao Neolithic site in Western Henan
Province in 1921. This gave its name to the
Yangshao Culture, of which more than 800
sites have been found in Henan Province over
the last 70 years (Fig. 2). Radio-carbon dating
indicates a chronology for the Yangshao Cul-
ture of 7000-5000 years BP. It was considered
a very important one for the Middle Neo-
lithic Period. From polished stone axes,
painted pottery etc, discovered at village sites
there, it can be seen that agriculture had de-
veloped quietly into the “spade-tillage” Pe-
riod, with the economy depending chiefly on
agriculture, though fishing, hunting and gath-
ering remained as important subsistence
sources.
The Yangshao culture went under about
2000 years BP ago and was followed by the
Longshan Culture Period, represented by
about 1000 sites in Henan Province (Fig. 3). It
was first found at the town of Longshan,
Zhangqiu Conty, Shandong County, Shan-
dong Province, located on the east of Henan
Province. It is a later Neolithic culture of
4800 to 2000 years BP ago. Well polished
stone tools and even a few bronzes were un-
earthed, showing that agriculture and animal
husbandry had reached a high level in those
days. With the development of Chinese ar-
chaeology, people are becoming more and
more interested in the sources of the Yang-
shao Culture, because there is a long gap be-
tween it and the end of the Palaeolithic,
which hinders further research on the origin
and earlier stages of Chinese agriculture. But
by good luck, two early Neolithic sites were
found in 1976-77.
One is Cishan Site, discovered in Cishan
village, Wuan county, Hebei province
(MICRH, 1977), located to the north of He-
nan Province and the other is Peiligang vil-
lage, Xinzheng county, Henan Province
(MCCRK, 1978). It was given the name Peili-
gang Culture, which is earlier than the Yang-
shao Culture. 105 sites of the Peiligang Cul-
ture have been found in Henan Province
(Sun, 1992) (Fig. 4). This discovery has filled
in a part of the gaps in studies of cultures of
the early Neolithic Period and has also cre-
ated more favourable conditions for research
into agriculture in that Period.
I. The general situation of the
Peiligang Culture
The Peiligang Culture is distributed mainly