Hemudu & Yangshao Culture

Home » Hemudu & Yangshao Culture

Have you ever wondered about visiting a museum which talks about fascinating ancient Chinese culture? Have you ever been asking yourself: What are Hemudu and Yangshao cultures? But most importantly, what are the similarities and differences between these two such ancient and fascinating cultures? Well, here we are. In the year 2021, scientists have not only been able to rediscover the hidden and undiscovered past but explain how our ancestors lived and what their styles of doing things were. Also, have you ever wondered what your ancestors did? Well, today, you are going to find out because we have hired a spaceship to go into time to the Hemudu and the Yangshao Culture! Are you excited and are you eager? But wait, firstly, what is the Hemudu and the Yangshao Culture?

Firstly, to begin, what are these 2 completely different cultures? Let’s start with the Hemudu culture. The Hemudu Culture was a Chinese Culture in the Neolithic Period (5500 BC to 3300 BC). But what is the Neolithic Period? Well, the Neolithic Period is the last and final stage of the Stone Age. BC means and stands for Before Century. This is before the year 0, which is the year Jesus the Christ was born, and when the Common Era started. The year 2021 means that is 2021 years after the Common Era or the year Jesus Christ was born. The Hemudu Culture lived near the Yellow River’s basin. They began building wooden houses and grew crops, causing the area to flourish. However, there were many floods, which forced people to flee the area. Usual floods caused deaths and killed crops.

But, let me ask, what is the Yangshao Culture? The Yangshao Culture was also a Neolithic culture, The main food of the Yangshao people was millet, with some sites using millet and others millets, though some evidence of rice has been found. The Yangshao people kept pigs anddogs. Sheep, goats, and cattle are found much more rarely. Much of their meat came from hunting and fishing with stone tools.

But hey, what are the similarities? The similarities are that they are both in the Neolithic period, of course. Being in the Neolithic period means that they both mostly use stone tools! Stone tools and other artifacts offer evidence about how early humans made things, how they lived, interacted with their surroundings, and evolved over time. Spanning the past 2.6 million years, many thousands of archeological sites have been excavated, studied, and dated. These sites often consist of the accumulated debris from making and using stone tools. Because stone tools are less susceptible to destruction than bones, stone artifacts typically offer the best evidence of where and when early humans lived, their geographic dispersal, and their ability to survive in a variety of habitats. But since multiple hominin species often existed at the same time, it can be difficult to determine which species made the tools at any given site. Most important is that stone tools provide evidence about the technologies, dexterity, particular kinds of mental skills, and innovations that were within the grasp of early human toolmakers. Stone tools and other artifacts offer evidence about how early humans made things, how they lived, interacted with their surroundings, and evolved over time.

Secondly, Spanning the past 2.6 million years, many thousands of archeological sites have been excavated, studied, and dated. These sites often consist of the accumulated debris from making and using stone tools. Because stone tools are less susceptible to destruction than bones, stone artifacts typically offer the best evidence of where and when early humans lived, their geographic dispersal, and their ability to survive in a variety of habitats. But since multiple hominin species often existed at the same time, it can be difficult to determine which species made the tools at any given site. Most important is that stone tools provide evidence about the technologies, dexterity, particular kinds of mental skills, and innovations. Is that all? Well, the answer to that is…No.

We still have a lot to learn about! How about other things? They also have amazing pottery and decorations. China was very famous for its fascinating and ancient pottery. The decorations on it are also amazing clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard, durable form. They made them from clay, of course, and hardened them using fire.

Thirdly, they are also very similar as they both plant crops and different things. They also farm animals, such as sheep, goats, yak, chickens, cows, etc. Farming is such an important part of the Hemudu and the Yangshao as meat is one of the most important food sources. Farming crops is equally important because their main food is rice! Without rice, it would be pretty hard for them to find other things to eat! For example, people in Africa eat yams, so it would be pretty hard to find another food source.

However, they are many differences as well as similarities! As the name suggests, Hemudu and Yangshao cultures are totally different from each other. While Hemudu Culture is just south of Hangzhou bay in Jiangnan. But wait, where is even Jiangnan? Jiangnan is in modern Yuyou! It has rich and good soil. This is why crops there grow very well! It is also 22km west on Ningbo, it is in Zhejiang province, in Jiangsu. Jiangsu is known for its rich and primitive culture. Ningbo is also known for that and it is known as the birthplace of the Hemudu culture! But, is that all? Well, of course, not.

The places of them are totally different. While the Hemudu Culture is in Ningbo, the Yangshao Culture was an ancient Neolithic culture that dated back to 5000 BC. It is in modern-day Henan. But where is Henan? Henan is in the middle of China. It is also landlocked. But what does landlocked even mean? Landlocked means it is surrounded by land and enclosed by land. Take Nepal or Bhutan for example, they are both surrounded by 2 Asian countries, India and China.

Moving on to the last difference, they both have completely different cultures. While Hemudu Culture is like one of the main cultures that lead to Chinese culture, the discovery of the Yangshao Culture provided great proof to verify the historical records and was of great value for archeologists to research Chinese history.

In conclusion, these two fascinating cultures in the Neolithic period of time are both very fascinating and amazing. Are you ready for our bizarre adventures? Get ready and let’s hop on our spaceship!