Dawenkou culture

Last updated
Dawenkou culture
Dawenkou map.svg
Geographical rangeNorth China
Period Neolithic China
Datesc. 4300 – c. 2600 BC
Preceded by Beixin culture
Followed by Longshan culture
Chinese name
Chinese 大汶口文化
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Dàwènkǒu wénhuà

The Dawenkou culture was a Chinese Neolithic culture primarily located in the eastern province of Shandong, but also appearing in Anhui, Henan and Jiangsu. The culture existed from 4300 to 2600 BC, and co-existed 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. Neolithic signs, perhaps related to subsequent scripts, such as those of the Shang dynasty, have been found on Dawenkou pottery. [1] Additionally, the Dawenkou practiced dental ablation and cranial deformation, practices that disappeared in China by the Chinese Bronze Age. [2]

Contents

Chronology

Painted Pottery Bowl Early Dawenkou Culture (c. 4,400-3,600 BCE). Excavated from Wangyin Site, Yanzhou, Shandong. Capital Museum, Beijing. Painted Pottery Bowl Early Dawenkou Culture (c. 4,400--3,600 BCE) Excavated from Wangyin Site, Yanzhou, Shandong. Capital Museum, Beijing.jpg
Painted Pottery Bowl Early Dawenkou Culture (c. 4,400–3,600 BCE). Excavated from Wangyin Site, Yanzhou, Shandong. Capital Museum, Beijing.

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. Graves built with earthen 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.

Political organization

Map Asia physical (continental).png
Orange dot (semi-transparent).png
class=notpageimage|
The Dawenkou culture and other contemporary cultures c. 3000 BC

The term "chiefdom" seems to be appropriate in describe the political organization of the Dawenkou. A dominant kin group likely held sway over Dawenkou village sites, though power was most likely manifested through religious authority rather than coercion. Unlike the Beixin culture from which they descend, the people of the Dawenkou culture were noted for being engaged in violent conflict. Scholars suspect that they may have engaged in raids for land, crops, livestock and prestige goods. [3]

Agriculture and diet

The warm and wet climate of the Dawenkou area was suitable for a variety of crops, though they primarily farmed millet at most sites. Their production of millet was quite successful and storage containers have been found that could have contained up to 2000 kg of millet, once decomposition is accounted for, have been found. For some of the southern Dawenkou sites, rice was a more important crop however, especially during the late Dawenkou period. Analysis done on human remains at Dawenkou sites in southern Shandong revealed that the diet of upper-class Dawenkou individuals consisted mainly of rice, while ordinary individuals ate primarily millet.

The Dawenkou people successfully domesticated chicken, dogs, pigs and cattle, but no evidence of horse domestication was found. Pig remains are by far most abundant, accounting for about 85% of the total, and are thought to be the most important domesticated animal. Pig remains were also found in Dawenkou burials also highlighting their importance. Seafood was also an important staple of the Dawenkou diet. Fish and various shellfish mounds have been found in the early periods indicating that they were important food sources. Although these piles became less frequent in the later stages, seafood remained an important part of the diet. [4]

Culture

Dawenkou's inhabitants were one of the earliest practitioners of trepanation in prehistoric China. A skull of a Dawenkou man dating to 3000 BC was found with severe head injuries which appeared to have been remedied by this primitive surgery. [5] Alligator hide drums have also been found in Dawenkou sites.

Interactions with other cultures

Dog-shaped vessel Neolithic dog-shaped pottery gui, Dawenkou Culture, Shandong, 1974.JPG
Dog-shaped vessel

The Dawenkou interacted extensively with the Yangshao culture. "For two and a half millennia of its existence the Dawenkou was, however, in a dynamic interchange with the Yangshao Culture, in which process of interaction it sometimes had the lead role, notably in generating Longshan. [1] Scholars have also noted similarities between the Dawenkou and the Liangzhu culture as well as the related cultures of the Yantze River basin. [6] According to some scholars, the Dawenkou culture may have a link with a pre-Austronesian language. [7] [8] [9] Other researchers also note a similarity between Dawenkou inhabitants and modern Austronesian peoples in cultural practices such as dental avulsion and architecture. [10] However, the Dawenkou appeared to be genetically distinct from the pre-Austronesian cultures to their south. [11] [12]

Physical characteristics

Symbol found on numerous Dawenkou pottery sherds, sometimes interpreted as a sun and cloud Dawenkou suncloud.svg
Symbol found on numerous Dawenkou pottery sherds, sometimes interpreted as a sun and cloud

The physical similarity of the Jiahu people to the later Dawenkou (2600 BC±4300 BC) indicates that the Dawenkou might have descended from the Jiahu, following a slow migration along the middle and lower reaches of the Huai and Hanshui. [13] Other scholars have also speculated that the Dawenkou originate in nearby regions to the south. [14] The Dawenkou descends from the Beixin, but is deeply influenced by the northward-expanding Longqiuzhuang culture located between the Yangtze and Huai. [15]

The people of Dawenkou exhibited a primarily Sinodont dental pattern. [16] They practiced body modification in the form of dental ablation and cranial deformation.

Many Dawenkou burials exhibited cranial deformation and dental ablation, but both forms of modification had disappeared from mainland China by the beginning of the Bronze Age. No sex differences in the frequency of Dawenkou dental ablation were de- tected (60–90 percent). The most commonly extracted teeth were the up- per incisors and canines, followed by the lower incisors. The majority of the teeth appear to have been knocked out between the ages of 13 and 15. The frequency of individuals with dental ablation among the Dawenkou drops to 50 percent over time. [2]

The Dawenkou were also physically dissimilar to the Neolithic inhabitants of Hemudu, South China, and Taiwan. [12] DNA testing revealed that the neolithic inhabitants of Shandong were closer to ancient Northern East Asians. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jiahu</span> Neolithic culture in China

Jiahu was the site of a Neolithic settlement based in the central plain of ancient China, near the Yellow River. It is located between the floodplains of the Ni River to the north, and the Sha River to the south, 22 km (14 mi) north of modern Wuyang in Henan. Most archaeologists consider the site to be one of the earliest examples of the Peiligang culture. Settled c. 7000 BC, the site was later flooded and abandoned around 5700 BC. The settlement was surrounded by a moat and covered a relatively large area of 55,000 square metres (5.5 ha). At one time, it was "a complex, highly organized Chinese Neolithic society", with a population of between 250 and 800 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yangshao culture</span> 5000–3000 BC Chinese archaeological culture

The Yangshao culture was a Neolithic culture that existed extensively along the middle reaches of the Yellow River in China from around 5000 BC to 3000 BC. The culture is named after the Yangshao site, the first excavated site of this culture, which was discovered in 1921 in the town of Yangshao in western Henan by the Swedish geologist Johan Gunnar Andersson (1874–1960). The culture flourished mainly in Henan, as well as the neighboring provinces of Shaanxi and Shanxi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longshan culture</span> Late Neolithic culture in northern China

The Longshanculture, also sometimes referred to as the Black Pottery Culture, was a late Neolithic culture in the middle and lower Yellow River valley areas of northern China from about 3000 to 1900 BC. The first archaeological find of this culture took place at the Chengziya Archaeological Site in 1928, with the first excavations in 1930 and 1931. The culture is named after the nearby modern town of Longshan in Zhangqiu, Shandong. The culture was noted for its highly polished black pottery. The population expanded dramatically during the 3rd millennium BC, with many settlements having rammed earth walls. It decreased in most areas around 2000 BC until the central area evolved into the Bronze Age Erlitou culture. The Longshan culture has been linked to the early Sinitic . According to the area and cultural type, the Longshan culture can be divided into two types: Shandong Longshan and Henan Longshan. Among them, Shandong Longshan Cultural Site includes Chengziya Site; Henan Longshan Cultural Site includes Dengfeng Wangchenggang Site in Wangwan, Taosi Site and Mengzhuang Site in Hougang.

The Hongshan culture was a Neolithic culture in the West Liao river basin in northeast China. Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching from Inner Mongolia to Liaoning, and dated from about 4700 to 2900 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majiayao culture</span> 3300–2000 BC Chinese archaeological culture

The Majiayao culture was a group of neolithic communities who lived primarily in the upper Yellow River region in eastern Gansu, eastern Qinghai and northern Sichuan, China. The culture existed from 3300 to 2000 BC. The Majiayao culture represents the first time that the upper Yellow River region was widely occupied by agricultural communities and it is famous for its painted pottery, which is regarded as a peak of pottery manufacturing at that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banpo</span> Archaeological site in Shaanxi, China

Banpo is a Neolithic archaeological site located in the Yellow River valley, east of present-day Xi'an, China. Discovered in 1953 by Shi Xingbang, the site represents the first phase of the Yangshao culture and features the remains of several well organized settlements—including Jiangzhai, which has been radiocarbon dated to c. 4700 – c. 3600 BCE). An area of 5 to 6 hectares was surrounded by a ditch, probably a defensive moat 5 to 6 meters wide. The houses at Banpo were circular, built of mud and wood on low foundations, with overhanging thatched roofs. There also appear to have been communal burials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qijia culture</span> Bronze Age culture around the upper Yellow River region

The Qijia culture was an early Bronze Age culture distributed around the upper Yellow River region of Gansu and eastern Qinghai, China. It is regarded as one of the earliest bronze cultures in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taosi</span> Archaeological site in Xiangfen County, Shanxi, China

Taosi is an archaeological site in Xiangfen County, Shanxi, China. Taosi is considered to be part of the late phase of the Longshan culture in southern Shanxi, also known as the Taosi phase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beixin culture</span> Archaeological culture in China

The Beixin culture was a Neolithic culture in Shandong, China. It was the successor of the Houli culture and precursor of the Dawenkou culture. The Beixin culture contains the first example of dental ablation in China, a practice that became common in the Dawenkou.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houli culture</span>

The Houli culture was a Neolithic culture in Shandong, China. The people of the culture lived in square, semi-subterranean houses. The most commonly found artefacts at Houli sites are pottery and stone tools. Jade artefacts and bone, antler, shell tools were also found at Houli sites. While the remains of domesticated dogs and pigs in the early stages of domestication were found at some sites associated with the culture, the people of the Houli culture relied mostly on hunting and fishing. The remains of rice, broomcorn millet, and foxtail millet were discovered at Houli sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banshan</span>

Banshan was a phase of the Chinese Neolithic Majiayao culture, c. 2600 to 2300 BC. The Banshan site is in Guanghe County, Gansu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Undeciphered writing systems</span> Writing systems that are yet to be understood

Many undeciphered writing systems exist today; most date back several thousand years, although some more modern examples do exist. The term "writing systems" is used here loosely to refer to groups of glyphs which appear to have representational symbolic meaning, but which may include "systems" that are largely artistic in nature and are thus not examples of actual writing.

Beginning in the latter half of the 20th century, artifacts bearing markings dating to the Neolithic period have been unearthed at several archeological sites in China, mostly in the Yellow River valley. These symbols have been compared to the oracle bone script—the earliest known forms of Chinese characters, first attested c. 1200 BCE—and have been cited by some as evidence that Chinese writing has existed in some form for over six millennia. However, the Neolithic symbols have only been found in small numbers, and do not appear to go beyond pictorial techniques, as is required to obtain a true writing system representing spoken language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chengziya</span> Archaeological site in China

Chengziya, also spelled Chengziyai, is a Chinese archaeological site and the location of the first discovery of the neolithic Longshan culture in 1928. The discovery of the Longshan culture at Chengziya was a significant step towards understanding the origins of Chinese civilization. Chengziya remains the largest prehistorical settlement found to date. The site is located in Shandong province, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the east of the provincial capital Jinan. It is protected and made accessible by the Chengziya Ruins Museum.

The Dapenkeng culture was an early Neolithic culture that appeared in northern Taiwan between 4000 and 3000 BC and quickly spread around the coast of the island, as well as the Penghu islands to the west. Most scholars believe this culture was brought across the Taiwan Strait by the ancestors of today's Taiwanese aborigines, speaking early Austronesian languages. No ancestral culture on the mainland has been identified, but a number of shared features suggest ongoing contacts.

The alligator drum is a type of drum once used in Neolithic China, made from clay and alligator hides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yueshi culture</span> Archaeological culture in China

The Yueshi culture was an archaeological culture in the Shandong region of eastern China, dated from 1900 to 1500 BC. It spanned the period from the Late Neolithic to the early Bronze Age. In the Shandong area, it followed the Longshan culture period and was later replaced by the Erligang culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow River civilization</span> Ancient Chinese civilization

Yellow River civilization, Huanghe civilization or Huanghe Valley civilization, Hwan‐huou civilization is an ancient Chinese civilization that prospered in the middle and lower basin of the Yellow River. Agriculture was started in the flood plain of the Yellow River, and before long, through flood control and the irrigation of the Yellow River, cities were developed and political power found reinforcement. One of the "four major civilizations of the ancient world", it is often included in textbooks of East Asian history, but the idea of including only the Yellow River civilization as one of the four biggest ancient civilizations has become outdated as a result of the discovery of other early cultures in China, such as the Yangtze and Liao civilizations. The area saw the Yangshao and Longshan cultures of the Neolithic era and developed into the bronze ware culture of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

The earliest human occupation of what is now China dates to the Lower Paleolithic c. 1.7 million years ago—attested by archaeological finds such as the Yuanmou Man. The Erlitou and Erligang cultures inhabiting the Yellow River valley were Bronze Age civilizations predating the historical record—which first emerges c. 1250 – c. 1200 BCE at Yinxu, during the Late Shang.

References

  1. 1 2 Maisel, Charles Keith (1999). Early Civilizations of the Old World: The Formative Histories of Egypt, the Levant, Mesopotamia, India and China. Psychology Press. p. 283. ISBN   978-0-4151-0975-8.
  2. 1 2 Lee, Christine (2017). "The Relationship between Intentional Dental Ablation and Hereditary Agenesis in Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age China". In Burnett, Scott E.; Irish, Joel D. (eds.). A World View of Bioculturally Modified Teeth. University Press of Florida. p. 93. doi:10.5744/florida/9780813054834.003.0007. ISBN   978-0-8130-5297-7.
  3. ↑ Peregrine, Peter N. (2001). Encyclopedia of Prehistory: Volume 3: East Asia and Oceania. p. 14.
  4. ↑ Underhill, Anne (2013). A companion to Chinese Archaeology.
  5. ↑ Han, Kangxin (2007). "THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF TREPANATION IN EARLY CHINA". Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China.: 22–27.
  6. ↑ Maisel, Charles Keith (1999). Early Civilizations of the Old World: The Formative Histories of Egypt, the Levant, Mesopotamia, India and China. Psychology Press. p. 284. ISBN   978-0-4151-0975-8.
  7. ↑ Manansala, Paul Kekai (October 2006). Quests of the Dragon and Bird Clan. ISBN   9781430308997.
  8. ↑ Sagart, Laurent. "The expansion of Setaria farmers in East Asia". Past Human Migrations in East Asia: Matching …. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  9. ↑ Blench, Roger (2005). The Peopling of East Asia: Putting Together Archaeology, Linguistics and Genetics . Routledge. pp.  9. ISBN   9780415322423.
  10. ↑ Blench, Roger (2008). Alicia Sanchez-Mazas; Roger Blench; Malcolm D. Ross; Ilia Peiros; Marie Lin (eds.). Past Human Migrations in East Asia: Matching Archaeology, Linguistics and Genetics. Routledge studies in the early history of Asia. Vol. 5 (1st ed.). Routledge. ISBN   9780415399234.
  11. 1 2 Yang, Melinda (2020). "Ancient DNA indicates human population shifts and admixture in northern and southern China". Science. 369 (6501): 282–88. Bibcode:2020Sci...369..282Y. doi:10.1126/science.aba0909. PMID   32409524. S2CID   218649510.
  12. 1 2 Goodenough, Ward (1996). Prehistoric Settlement of the Pacific, Volume 86, Part 5. p. 53.
  13. ↑ Juzhong Zhang; Garman Harbottle; Changsui Wang; Zhaochen Kong (23 September 1999). "Oldest playable musical instruments found at Jiahu early Neolithic site in China" (PDF). Letters to nature. Nature. 401: 366–368. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  14. ↑ Blench, Roger (1997). Archaeology and Language: Correlating archaeological and linguistic hypotheses . pp.  94.
  15. ↑ Han, Jianye (2011). "Northward Expanding of the Longqiuzhuang Culture and the Formation of the Dawenkou Culture". Jianghan Archaeology: 59–64. doi:10.2214/ajr.98.3.575.
  16. ↑ Manabe, Y (2003). "Dental morphology of the Dawenkou Neolithic population in North China: implications for the origin and distribution of Sinodonty". Journal of Human Evolution. 45 (5): 369–80. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2003.08.010. PMID   14624747.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.