eh, there is a long-standing misunderstanding there that the Hua-Xiao(华夏) civilization was
born along the Yellow River.
Along with the archaeological development in the last 20 years in China, more and more
unearthed evidence indicated that the earliest civilization center lied on the middle and lower
reaches of the Yangtze River.
Look at these:
In 2011, a group of genome researchers from Stanford University, New York University,
Washington University, and Purdue University made a conclusion that domesticated rice
originated in the Yangtze Valley of China around 9,000 years ago.
(
http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publicati ... -to-china-
genome-researchers-conclude.html
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/ ... 8.abstract)
Early in 2004, 5 carbonated rice grains dated around 12,000 years ago were discovered in
Yuchanyan Cave (an Upper Neolithic cultural site) in Hunan Province China by archaeologists
from Hunan Archaeological Research Institute and Harvard University.
It is worth mentioning that Yuchanyan Cave also yielded the earliest pottery dated 17,500-
18,300 years ago.
(see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8077168.stm
and
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/ ... 6.abstract)
Now here comes a prominent neolithic cultural site Gaomiao(高庙) Relics dated between 7800-5500
ago situated in Hongjiang, Hunan Province,China.
Till the most recent dig in 2005, among the discoveries are:
1) a large-scale sacrificing site with an estimated area of 1000 square meters dated 7000 ago
consisting of three parts: ritual site, sacrifice pit, attached buildings for meeting and rest and cellars.
2) In Gaomiao's upper remains lied houses and tombs among which 2 co-buried graves of husband
and wife(supposed to be the tribe head) dated 5800 ago were especially conspicuous, only in these two graves large exquisite jadeware were discovered.
3) around 7800 years old pottery (including the earliest white pottery) with the oldest-known
decoration patterns like: magic bird phoenix, beast fangs, octagon constellation and the sun.
4) Perhaps the oldest character-liking engravings found on the fragments of pottery dated 7000
—7500 ago such as: “火”、“⊙”、“井”、“圭”、“▽” in which “⊙” was identical to “日” in oracle bone inscriptions.
Emerging of Huaxiao civilization:
Chengtoushan(城头山) site (late Neolithic Culture spanning from 7000-4000 ago):
The first emerged ancient city of around 6000 years old located in Li Yang Plain, Hunan Province.
Occupying an area of 152,000 square meters, surrounded by city wall and moat, the ancient city
was divided into habitation, pottery-making, sacrificing and tomb areas linked together through
the earliest dated brick laid roads. The oldest rice paddy of 6500 yrs was also found there.
BTW, the accomplishments of Chengtoushan Culture were ever displayed in the Shanghai WorldExpo 2010.
(Have a look at the pictures of the site:
http://www.zhg1.cn/humane/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=249)
Now let's get back to the so-called 'Yoha Civilization' "the oldest and most developed civilization
among East Asia" declared by the Koreans.
Actually, the correct name of the relics should be "Niuheliang(牛河梁)Cultural Site" which
used to be thought the part of Hongshan(红山) Culture (6000-5000 ago) and includes stone tombs
and a "goddess temple".
The excavation of the site hasn't been completed, as the research goes on, some new findings
contradictory to the former conclusions have come out.
Niuheliang Site is a mixed cultural relics consisting of Hongshan Culture and Lower Xiajiaodian
(夏家店) Culture (2000BC-1500BC), the jadeware unearthed in the stone tombs are actually not
related to the Hongshan Culture, and most likely belong to the other culture more than 1000
years later.
For a bronze ware found in 1987 in one tomb, the radiocarbon dating has identified its Lower
Xiajiaodian Culture characteristics.
As to the goddess temple, aside from the clay goddess statue, nothing valuable was discovered
especially the precious jadeware.
Comparing with other late neolithic sites ranging from the central plain to the southern areas,
such as: Lingjiatan(凌家滩) Site (5600-5300 ago), Liangzhu(良渚) Site (3300 BC-2200 BC),etc,
large amounts of exquisite jadeware were found in those relics which obviously is not the
feature of Niuheliang Site.
Anyway, Niuheliang Site is a bit overrated due to inaccurate analysis method in the earlier
stage of excavation.
Another interesting thing is:
a genetic research on the human remains in the stone tombs in Niuheliang Site done by
JiNing University found that the Hongshan Culture habitants were of ancient northeast human
type most genetically close to the Han Chinese with the closest matrilineal inheritance.
When entering the bronze period, the ancient north chinese began to move into the western
Liaoning and gradually replaced the natives and became the main dwellers.
From late Bronze Period on, a group of ancient Mongolian Plateau type human came to this area,
mixed ethnithity and culture then emerged.
