In 2003, a group of Chinese archaeologists claiming that their nation’s roots can be traced back 8,000 to 10,000 years. While based on orthodox assumptions the first civilization appeared on earth about 5,000 years ago. They have unearthed several samples of China’s earliest painting, writing, colored pottery, crop seed strain specimen and buildings showing the development from a rural to an urban society at Dadiwan Ruins in northwest China’s Gansu province. These early cultural relics, so far unrecorded in any historical book, belong to five ancient periods dating back to 8,000 years ago. Prof. Li Xueqin, the prestigious researcher on the ancient history of China, said the discovery at Dadiwan Ruins suggested that the origins of China’s civilization could be far earlier than the Shang Dynasty (16th to 11th century B.C.) and even the Xia Dynasty (2200 B.C. - 1700 B.C.).
Dadiwan site is located 45 km east of the urban district of the Qin’an County, Gansu Province on the western Loess Plateau. It is 1,100,000 sq m in size and occupies the terrace and slow slope on the south bank of the Qingshui River–a distributary of the Wei River. Dadiwan is an enormous site, covering an area of over a million square meters.
After 20 years of excavation, study and collation, archeologists have made a series of significant breakthroughs regarding the Dadiwan relics of Qin'an, Gansu Province. The associate research fellow of Gansu Culture Relics Research Institute, Lang Shude, who took charge of the study, told reporters that the Dadiwan artifacts broke six Chinese archeological records. These finds are of great significance in understanding the historical progressions of the Neolithic Age in the Yellow River Valley and the origins of the entire Chinese nation. Until now, archeologist have found 240 houses, 98 cooking stove ruins, 325 pits and cellars to hold discarded materials, 71 mausoleums, 35 kilns and 12 irrigation canals and ditches, in which a total of 4,147 pieces of pottery, 1,931 stone artifacts (including jade artifacts), 2,218 bone, horn, teeth or mussel artifacts and 17,000 animal skeletons have been unearthed.
According to Lang Shude, the report on Dadiwan archeology has recently been completed, passed an appraisal by specialists organized by the State Bureau of Cultural Relics, and is soon to be published. This study will pronounce the Dadiwan relics as "the cultural marvels of the Loess Plateau". The site thus was elected as one of the 100 most significant archaeological discoveries in China in the 20th century.
The relics of Dadiwan culture can be divided according to five periods: pre-Yangshao culture, the early, middle and late periods of Yangshao culture and early stage of Changshan culture, covering a period of 3,000 years from 6000 BC to 3000 BC. To date, this is thought to be the earliest evidence of Neolithic culture in northwest China.
According to Lang Shude's introduction, evidence of each of the most important aspects in Chinese archeology , agriculture, pottery-making, Chinese character writing, construction, and drawing , have been found.
To people's surprise, all these "first artifacts" have been discovered in only 1.34 % of total area of the Dadiwan site. "Dadiwan is a huge treasure trove of ancient culture. We are now only just scratching the surface," said Lang Shude.
Sources:
Atlantis Rising Magazine Vol. 38: "Chinese Relics Dated to Over 6 Millennia B.C.";
The Early Yangshao Settlement at Dadiwan, Qin’an County, Gansu Province Gansu Provincial by Institute of Antiquity and Archaeology;
http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/48220.htm;
http://archaeology.about.com/od/dathroughdeterms/qt/dadiwan.htm
Pic Source:
Atlantis Rising Magazine Vol. 38: "Chinese Relics Dated to Over 6 Millennia B.C." page 13
Dadiwan site is located 45 km east of the urban district of the Qin’an County, Gansu Province on the western Loess Plateau. It is 1,100,000 sq m in size and occupies the terrace and slow slope on the south bank of the Qingshui River–a distributary of the Wei River. Dadiwan is an enormous site, covering an area of over a million square meters.
After 20 years of excavation, study and collation, archeologists have made a series of significant breakthroughs regarding the Dadiwan relics of Qin'an, Gansu Province. The associate research fellow of Gansu Culture Relics Research Institute, Lang Shude, who took charge of the study, told reporters that the Dadiwan artifacts broke six Chinese archeological records. These finds are of great significance in understanding the historical progressions of the Neolithic Age in the Yellow River Valley and the origins of the entire Chinese nation. Until now, archeologist have found 240 houses, 98 cooking stove ruins, 325 pits and cellars to hold discarded materials, 71 mausoleums, 35 kilns and 12 irrigation canals and ditches, in which a total of 4,147 pieces of pottery, 1,931 stone artifacts (including jade artifacts), 2,218 bone, horn, teeth or mussel artifacts and 17,000 animal skeletons have been unearthed.
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| Artifacts from Dadiwan Dig site |
According to Lang Shude, the report on Dadiwan archeology has recently been completed, passed an appraisal by specialists organized by the State Bureau of Cultural Relics, and is soon to be published. This study will pronounce the Dadiwan relics as "the cultural marvels of the Loess Plateau". The site thus was elected as one of the 100 most significant archaeological discoveries in China in the 20th century.
The relics of Dadiwan culture can be divided according to five periods: pre-Yangshao culture, the early, middle and late periods of Yangshao culture and early stage of Changshan culture, covering a period of 3,000 years from 6000 BC to 3000 BC. To date, this is thought to be the earliest evidence of Neolithic culture in northwest China.
According to Lang Shude's introduction, evidence of each of the most important aspects in Chinese archeology , agriculture, pottery-making, Chinese character writing, construction, and drawing , have been found.
To people's surprise, all these "first artifacts" have been discovered in only 1.34 % of total area of the Dadiwan site. "Dadiwan is a huge treasure trove of ancient culture. We are now only just scratching the surface," said Lang Shude.
Sources:
Atlantis Rising Magazine Vol. 38: "Chinese Relics Dated to Over 6 Millennia B.C.";
The Early Yangshao Settlement at Dadiwan, Qin’an County, Gansu Province Gansu Provincial by Institute of Antiquity and Archaeology;
http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/48220.htm;
http://archaeology.about.com/od/dathroughdeterms/qt/dadiwan.htm
Pic Source:
Atlantis Rising Magazine Vol. 38: "Chinese Relics Dated to Over 6 Millennia B.C." page 13
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