Named after Hongshanhou (simplified Chinese: 红山后; traditional Chinese: 紅山後), a site in Hongshan District. In the early 1900s. Hongshan culture (simplified: 红山文化; traditional: 紅山文化) was discovered and studied. Now in the Liaoning Province. In the West Liao river basin. Northeast China. Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching from Inner Mongolia to Liaoning. The culture is well known for its distinctive art, burial practices, and the development of early forms of agriculture.

Climate change & emigration development of Chinese civilization
The region was once thought to have been desert for the past 1 million years. However, in 2015, a study found the region had water, deep lakes and forests. Existing from 12,000 years ago to 4,000 years ago. Around 4200 years ago, the climate changed. And, it is believed the culture may have emigrated south to the Yellow River valley.

Historical context

The Yangshao and Hongshan cultures probably interacted with each other.
Hongshan was contemporary or split into a few other cultures including the Xinle, and a couple others.
Likely due to the climate change. There was a shift from farming to pastoral nomadism. In this historical context. It is believed this west Liao basin was also populated by nomads.

Agriculture farming
Similarly to the Yangshao culture, Hongshan cultivated millet. Isotope analyses reveal millet contributed more than 70% of diet. They were early agriculturalists. They raised domesticated pigs and cultivated millet. Supplementing there diet. They also engaged in hunting, fishing, and gathering activities. The development of agriculture and millet during this period. Played a critical role in community standards and the emergence of complex social structures.

Artifacts art
The Hongshan culture is primarily characterized by its sophisticated stone and jade artifacts. Intricately carved. They made masks, and ritual objects. These artifacts often feature animal motifs, including dragons, birds, and pigs. It is believed to have had religious or ceremonial significance. Burial artifacts include some of the earliest known examples of jade working. Jade pig dragons and embryonic dragons. Clay figurines, including figurines of pregnant women, are also found throughout sites. Small copper rings have also been excavated.

Dating back to 6,000 – 5,000 years ago, Niuheliang, Hongshanhou, & Weijiawopu were important site

The Niuheliang archaeological site
It was believed to be a burial and sacrificial center during the late period. The site boasts the greatest scale, the best preservation, and the richest varieties of remains. It also has the largest number of unearthed cultural relics.

It is located on the border of Lingyuan City, Jianping County, and Harqin Left Wing Mongol Autonomous County under the jurisdiction of Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province. The area is naturally composed of a number of mountain valleys. In the NE/SW direction. Its altitudes are around 600 meters. And it is known as a area with foothills located between the Mongolian Plateau, and the offshore zone of the north China plain. The archaeological spots are mainly distributed on the hilltop of the mountain ridges. Sites are divided into the following six categories: Goddess Temple, platform, stone mound, sacrificial altar, building foundation, the cellar. Within an area of 50 square kilometers. No residential settlements have been discovered. It shows Niuheliang as an example of “holy, or sacrificial land”. It boasts the
largest scale, and the most prominent expression of beliefs in the north eastern Asia area.
The temple complex. Which includes an altar—and cairns. Was constructed of stone platforms. And, even had painted walls. Archaeologists have given it the name “Goddess Temple” (Chinese: 女神庙; pinyin: nüshenmiao). Due to the discovery of a clay female head with jade inlaid eyes. It was in an underground structure, 1m deep.
(pic)
Included on its walls were mural paintings.
Housed inside the Goddess Temple are clay figurines as large as three times the size of real-life humans. The exceedingly large figurines are possibly deities, but for a religion not reflective in any other Chinese culture.
The Goddess Temple and its northern platform, are surrounded by several sacrificial pits. Temple ruins are semi-subterranean earth-wood structures, composed of a set of interconnected chambers and a single chamber in the south. It measures 25 meters long from north to south, 2 to 9 meters wide from east to west, and covers an area of 75
square meters. Parts of six individual clay figures were unearthed during preliminary excavations, including one life-size statue of human head. All the statues are exquisitely made with female features, being regarded as statues of female ancestors who were worshiped. In addition, animal-shaped sculptures and sacrificial potteries were unearthed at the Goddess Temple.

There are also 14 stone mounds discovered on the hilltops within Niuheliang. Each hill may have a single grave, double graves, or multiple graves. All different sizes, shapes; materials; and, things inside. In the larger graves carved jade dragons, phoenixs, a tortoise, and human beings were found inside. In this way, the Niuheliang shows hierarchy, order and system. Resembling sacrificial altars in later times that are used to worship Heaven and Earth. Architectural forms at Niuheliang exemplphy some of the first of there kind. And, in NE Asia.

The Hongshanhou Archaeological Site
Dating back to 6000 or 5500 years ago. Hongshanhou was a residential settlement. On the Hongshan mountain. The settlement lies on the SE slope of the secondary peak. It covers an area of about 20,000 meters square. It was 1935 when first excevated. House ruins, and ash pits were discovered. A large number of cultural relics, including potteries, stone/bone artifacts were recovered. It, for the first time revealed the state of prehistoric human production, and lifestyle in the West Liao River Basin. It laid the foundation for later Chinese civilizations and discoveries

Weijiawopu Archaeological Site
Located south of Hongshan District, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is 20 kilometers away from Chifeng City.

Relatively flat, the site is also residential. It covers an area of 93000 square meters. When dug up. Settlement clusters provided remains of 103 semi-subterranean homes. 201 cellars, and sacrificial pits. As well as many well preserved trenches. Weijiawopu provides some of hongshans richest varieties including the largest number of culture relics.
It appears the site was well organized. Pottery and crafts were highly developed here. Because of the large number of food production tools found. It is believed they enjoyed farming. And, probably hunting and fishing too.

Religion
The architecture existance such as monuments, pyramids and the Goddess temple point to the existence of “chiefdom”. Over 60 tombs. Constructed of stone and covered by stone mounds had been found. Frequently including jade carved artifacts.
Similar to Yangshao cultural sites. Hongshan provide the earliest evidence for Feng Shui (chinese: wind water). Governing spatial arrangements, orientations and who was favourable at the time. Things like sitting and designing buildings probably involved Feng Shui, and the flow of energy.
Both the presence of round and square shapes. Also, suggests an early sign of the gaitian cosmography (“round heaven, square earth”).

Did you know? Hongshan probably contributed to ancient Korea. However, some scholars consider it a pseudohistory (sham). Because they would not have been the only ones in the north eastern section of Asia during such a long neolithic time period.

The Hongshan Neolithic culture is significant because it represents an early phase of civilization in northeastern China. The elaborate art and burial practices suggest the presence of complex religious and social systems. The culture is also notable for its influence on subsequent cultures in the region, as evidenced by the presence of Hongshan-style artifacts in later archaeological sites. And, thru a timeline demonstrating challanging climatic conditions.

Overall, the Hongshan Neolithic culture provides valuable insights into the social, economic, and artistic development of ancient China during the Neolithic period.

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