Rampart offers evidence of social differentiation 6,300 years ago

Aerial view of the Shuanghuaishu Site in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, a representative site of the Yangshao Culture Photo: VCG

An ancient rampart defense system unearthed in Central China's Henan Province is a latest evidence showing that China's prehistoric society began to differentiate 6,300 years ago, according to archaeological findings released at a press conference held by the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology on Wednesday.

A number of new findings about the early, middle and late phases of the Yangshao Culture were made public at the press conference, marking the latest efforts in exploring the origin of Chinese civilization.

The Yangshao Culture, mainly distributed across the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River basin and dating back 5,000 to 7,000 years, is a significant origin point for Chinese civilization and is widely known for its advanced pottery-making techniques. As China's first discovered Neolithic culture, its name derives from Yangshao village, which is considered the birthplace of modern Chinese archaeology.

Liu Haiwang, head of the institute, said that the 6,300-year-old defense walls and trenches indicates the beginning of prehistoric civilization in China.

"Based on previous discoveries, the latest findings have provided further evidence of the social complexity and civilization that characterized the early stage of the Yangshao Culture. This culture heralded the progress of prehistoric civilization in China," said Liu.

Fang Qi, head of the archaeological excavation team and dean of the School of Archaeology at Jilin University, told the Global Times on Thursday that the walls and trenches unearthed in Henan might have had multiple functions.

"Apart from military defense, the structure may have been used to keep elephants away from people's residences. It's a symbol of prehistoric civilization in China," said Fang.

Medium- and large-sized houses discovered in several archaeological sites indicate that an ancient kingdom took shape in the middle stage of the Yangshao Culture. The structure, building materials and techniques used to build houses found in different sites are basically the same, indicating a mature model of house construction during this phase that experienced rapid development, Liu noted.

In addition, newly unearthed large-scale residences, a courtyard and a barbican structure, the earliest ever found, are evidences of the social division of labor and specialization of the handicraft industry, marking the differentiation of social classes during the late stage of the Yangshao Culture, said Liu.

Based on the large group of settlements centered around the Shuanghuaishu Ruins, it is theorized that an ancient political body was established around 5,300 years ago, making the area one of the earliest regional civilizations of China, he said.

After examining human bone remains, researchers found in November that cavities were common among residents in Shuanghuaishu Ruins about 5,300 years ago.

About seven out of 10 individuals had cavities, with the youngest "patient" about 4 years old.

Archaeologist Jia Zhengyu told the Global Times that the strikingly high rate of the cavities was "essentially related to their shared lifestyle, especially eating millet, a staple food that contains high sugar content."

The latest findings were the fruits of an archaeological project jointly launched in 2020 by the provinces of Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Hebei to explore the origin of Chinese civilization.

Web editors: Li Xiaoshu, Tong Lin