Geographical Location: Xi’an, Shaanxi Province

Period: 4800-4300 BC

Excavated from 1954 to 1957

Significance: It is a well-preserved Neolithic settlement site, which was excavated on a large scale for the first time in ancient China.

Introduction

The Banpo(半坡Bànpō) Site is a comparatively integrated commune village site rather typical of the Matriarchy clan society, a Neolithic site of the Yangshao Culture at Banpo Village on the eastern outskirts of Xi’an, in the Yellow River Valley that was about 6,000 years ago. It is China’s invaluable cultural heritage. The site, with an existing area of about 50,000 square meters, is divided into residential quarters, burial ground and pottery making area.

Since it was first discovered in the spring of 1953, with the five excavations from 1954 to 1957, nearly 10,000 relics were unearthed, including 45 houses, 6 pottery kilns, 200 storage pits, 250 adults’ tombs and children’s burial jars, 10,000 tools and utensils were unearthed. The excavation area covers about 10,000 square meters, obtaining rich scientific data and precious cultural relics. The most interesting aspect is that: There were more tombs and graves for female here than for male, and the women’s graves contained more objects and valuables than their male counterparts did.

To the west side of the Banpo site flows the Changjiang River, which did not rise or fall suddenly and violently as it does today with its plentiful water overflowing now and then. The Banpo people were never worried about the supply of water.

Next to the east side of the Banpo site lies the White Deer Plain, and to the south lies the Zhongnan Mountains. 6,000 years ago, primeval forests grew densely, where all sorts of birds and beasts appeared and disappeared. Through studies of the soil traces of the Banpo site, such a conclusion can be drawn as that the climate at the time when the Banpo people were living was warmer and more humid than it is today; the Banpo people has an excellent place for gathering and hunting. To the northern side of the Banpo site lies the Wei River Plian, an ideal place for human beings to be engaged in the primitive agriculture.