- Hongshan culture
The Hongshan culture (zh-stp|s=红山文化|t=紅山文化|p=hóngshān wénhuà) was a
Neolithic culture in northeasternChina . Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching fromInner Mongolia toLiaoning andHebei , and dated from about4700 BC to2900 BC . [ [http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/chbro_chron.shtm] Timeline posted by National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.]The culture is named after Hongshanhou (zh-stp|s=红山後|t=紅山後|p=hóngshānhòu), a site in Hongshan District, Hongshan District,
Chifeng . The Hongshanhou site was discovered by the Japanese archaeologistTorii Ryūzō in 1908 and extensively excavated in 1935 by Hamada Kosaku and Mizuno Seiichi.Jade
Hongshan grave goods include some of the earliest known examples of Chinese
jade working; the Hongshan culture is known for its jadepig dragon s. Clay figurines, including figurines of pregnant women, are also found throughout Hongshan sites.Copper
Small copper rings were excavated. [ [http://www.thejadetrade.com/ian/p1b.html Hongshan Culture - The Jade Trade] ]
Religion
The archaeological site at
Niuheliang is a unique ritual complex associated with the Hongshan culture.Excavators have discovered an underground
temple complex -- which included analtar -- and alsocairn s inNiuheliang .Please refer toNiuheliang .] The temple was constructed of stone platforms, with painted walls. Archaeologists have given it the name "Goddess Temple" due to the discovery of a clay female head withjade inlaid eyes. It was an underground structure, 1m deep. [http://whc.unesco.org/pg_friendly_print.cfm?id=141&cid=326&] UNESCO State Bureau of Cultural Relics.] Included on its walls are mural paintings.Housed inside the "Goddess Temple" are clay
figurine s as large as three times the size of real-life humans. The exceedingly large figurines are possibly deities, but for areligion not reflective in any other Chinese culture. [http://www.nga.gov/education/chinatp_sl01.htm] Article by National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.]The existence of complex trading networks and
monumental architecture (such aspyramid s and the "Goddess Temple") point to the existence of a "chiefdom " [http://www.pitt.edu/~chifeng/text.html] University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: "Regional Lifeways and Cultural Remains in the Northern Corridor: Chifeng International Collaborative Archaeological Research Project." Cited references: Drennan 1995; and Earle 1987, 1997.] in these prehistoric communies.Painted
pottery was also discovered within the temple. Over 60 nearbytomb s have been unearthed, all constructed of stone and covered by stone mounds, frequently includingjade artifacts. [ [http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/chbro_preh.shtm] "Exhibition Brochure," National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.]Cairn s were discovered atop two nearby two hills, with either round or square stepped tombs, made of piled limestone. Tombed inside were sculptures of dragons andtortoise s.It has been suggested that
religious sacrifice might have been performed within the Hongshan culture.Feng shui
Just as suggested by evidence found at early
Yangshao culture sites, Hongshan culture sites also provide the earliest evidence forFeng shui .Please refer toFeng shui .] The presence of both round and square shapes at Hongshan culture ceremonial centers suggests an early presence of thegaitian cosmography (heaven-round, earth-square). [ [http://portfolio.du.edu/portfolio/getportfoliofile?uid=38863] Sarah M. Nelson, Rachel A. Matson, Rachel M. Roberts, Chris Rock and Robert E. Stencel: "Archaeoastronomical Evidence for Wuism at the Hongshan Site of Niuheliang," 2006.]Early
Feng shui relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and the universe. [Sun, X. (2000) Crossing the Boundaries between Heaven and Man: Astronomy in Ancient China. In H. Selin (ed.), "Astronomy Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Astronomy." 423-454. Kluwer Academic.]ee also
*
List of Neolithic cultures of China References
Also:
* Allan, Sarah (ed), "The Formation of Chinese Civilization: An Archaeological Perspective", ISBN 0-300-09382-9
* Chang, Kwang-chih. "The Archaeology of Ancient China", ISBN 0-300-03784-8
* Nelson, Sarah Milledge (ed), "The Archaeology of Northeast China: Beyond the Great Wall", ISBN 0-415-11755-0External links
* [http://english.nmgnews.com.cn/eng/article/20050110/450_1.html One study of Hongshan culture]
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hongshan/ Discussion of Hongshan culture]
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