What is Yangshao culture?

Yangshao culture refers to an important Neolithic painted pottery culture in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, which lasted about 5000 BC to 3000 BC (that is, about 7000 to 5000 years ago, lasting about 2000 years) and distributed in the middle reaches of the Yellow River from Gansu to Henan.

Because it was first discovered in Yangshao Village, Mianchi County, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province in 192 1, according to archaeological practice, this culture is called Yangshao culture. It is centered in the south of Shanxi Province in the west of Guanzhong, where tributaries of Weihe River, Fenhe River and Luohe River meet, reaching the Great Wall and Hetao area in the north, northwestern Hubei in the south, eastern Henan in the east, and the border areas of Gansu and Qinghai in the west.

The source of Yangshao culture can be traced back to Jiahu culture 89,000 years ago.

Yangshao culture is the largest prehistoric culture in China, involving Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Gansu, Qinghai, Hubei and Ningxia.

As a culture with strong vitality, it has great radiation. In particular, the wide spread of painted pottery is considered by archaeologists to represent the first wave of prehistoric art, spreading to surrounding areas and reaching the peak of prehistoric art.

In September, 2020, the researchers analyzed and tested the samples collected from six Yangshao cultural sites, such as Ding Cun in Mianchi, Henan Province, and found the imprints and handprints of plain fabrics on the inside of pottery pieces, which provided important material evidence for the study of textile technology and pottery-making technology in Yangshao era.