Pengtoushan culture
Encyclopedia
The Pengtoushan culture dating 7500–6100 BCE, was a Neolithic
culture centered primarily around the central Yangtze River
region in northwestern Hunan
, China
. It was roughly contemporaneous with its northern neighbor, the Peiligang culture
. The two primary examples of Pengtoushan culture are the type site
at Pengtoushan and the later site at Bashidang
.
The type site at Pengtoushan was discovered in Li County, Hunan
. This site is the earliest permanently settled village yet discovered in China. Excavated in 1988, Pengtoushan has been difficult to date accurately, with a large variability in dates ranging from 9000 BCE to 5500 BCE. Cord-marked pottery
was discovered among the burial goods.
Analysis of Chinese rice residues which were Carbon-14
dated to 8200-7800 BCE show that rice had been domesticated by this time. The size of the Pengtoushan rice was larger than the size of naturally occurring wild rice; however, Pengtoushan lacked evidence of tools used in cultivating rice. Although not found at Pengtoushan, rice-cultivating tools were found in later sites associated with the Pengtoushan culture.
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
culture centered primarily around the central Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
region in northwestern Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It was roughly contemporaneous with its northern neighbor, the Peiligang culture
Peiligang culture
The Peiligang culture is a name given by archaeologists to a group of Neolithic communities in the Yi-Luo river basin in Henan Province, China. The culture existed from 7000 BC to 5000 BC. Over 70 sites have been identified with the Peiligang culture. The culture is named after the site discovered...
. The two primary examples of Pengtoushan culture are the type site
Type site
In archaeology a type site is a site that is considered the model of a particular archaeological culture...
at Pengtoushan and the later site at Bashidang
Bashidang
Bashidang was the site of a Neolithic Yangtze River settlement in Lixian County, Hunan, China. Bashidang is considered to be a very late site of the Pengtoushan culture. The site is the earliest in China to feature both a wall and a ditch; the ditch was the outermost perimeter...
.
The type site at Pengtoushan was discovered in Li County, Hunan
Li County, Hunan
Li or Lixian is a county under the municipal region of Changde, Hunan.-Administration:The county executive, legislature and judiciary are in Liyang Town , together with the CPC and PSB branches.-Special Status:...
. This site is the earliest permanently settled village yet discovered in China. Excavated in 1988, Pengtoushan has been difficult to date accurately, with a large variability in dates ranging from 9000 BCE to 5500 BCE. Cord-marked pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
was discovered among the burial goods.
Analysis of Chinese rice residues which were Carbon-14
Carbon-14
Carbon-14, 14C, or radiocarbon, is a radioactive isotope of carbon with a nucleus containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Its presence in organic materials is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method pioneered by Willard Libby and colleagues , to date archaeological, geological, and hydrogeological...
dated to 8200-7800 BCE show that rice had been domesticated by this time. The size of the Pengtoushan rice was larger than the size of naturally occurring wild rice; however, Pengtoushan lacked evidence of tools used in cultivating rice. Although not found at Pengtoushan, rice-cultivating tools were found in later sites associated with the Pengtoushan culture.