Hongshan culture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Categories: Cleanup from October 2007 | All pages needing cleanup | Archaeological cultures | Neolithic cultures of China | Hebei | Inner Mongolia | Liaoning | Chinese history stubs | Archaeology stubs
Image:C-shaped jade dragon.jpg
The C-shaped jade dragon of Hongshan Culture
The Hongshan culture (simplified Chinese: 红山文化; traditional Chinese: 紅山文化; pinyin: hóngshān wénhuà) was a Neolithic culture in northeastern China. Hongshan sites have been found in an area stretching from Inner Mongolia to Liaoning and Hebei, and dated from about 4700 BC to 2900 BC. [1] The culture is named after Hongshanhou (simplified Chinese: 红山後; traditional Chinese: 紅山後; pinyin: hóngshānhòu), a site in Hongshan District, Hongshan District, Chifeng. The Hongshanhou site was discovered by the Japanese archaeologist Torii Ryūzō in 1908 and extensively excavated in 1935 by Hamada Kosaku and Mizuno Seiichi.
JadeHongshan grave goods include some of the earliest known examples of Chinese jade working; the Hongshan culture is known for its jade pig dragons. Clay figurines, including figurines of pregnant women, are also found throughout Hongshan sites. ReligionThe archaeological site at Niuheliang is a unique ritual complex associated with the Hongshan culture. Excavators have discovered an underground temple complex -- which included an altar -- and also cairns in Niuheliang.[2] The temple was constructed of stone platforms, with painted walls.[2] Archaeologists have given it the name Goddess Temple due to the discovery of a clay female head with jade inlaid eyes.[2] It was an underground structure, 1m deep.[3] Included on its walls are mural paintings.[3] Housed inside the Goddess Temple are clay figurines as large as three times the size of real-life humans.[2] The exceedingly large figurines are possibly deities, but for a religion not reflective in any other Chinese culture.[4] These findings point to a possible "chiefdom"[5] having existed in this prehistoric community. Painted pottery was also discovered within the temple.[3] Over 60 nearby tombs have been unearthed, all constructed of stone and covered by stone mounds, frequently including jade artifacts.[6] Cairns were discovered atop two nearby two hills, with either round or square stepped tombs, made of piled limestone. Tombed inside were sculptures of dragons and tortoises.[3] It has been suggested that religious sacrifice might have been performed within the Hongshan culture.[3] Feng shuiJust as suggested by evidence found at early Yangshao culture sites, Hongshan culture sites also provide the earliest evidence for Feng shui.[7] The presence of both round and square shapes at Hongshan culture ceremonial centers suggests an early presence of the gaitian cosmography (heaven-round, earth-square).[8] Early Feng shui relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and the universe.[9] See alsoReferences
Also:
External links |
