Anthony
(10) New Perceptions of Life in Neolithic Period
[CND, 01/12/98] China's Xinhua news agency, in a story carried by the AFP
English Wire, reports that 8,000-year-old settlements in 10 sites have
been unearthed in the lower Yellow River Valley. These mark the oldest
settlements uncovered in the region, long believed to be the Cradle point
of Chinese civilization.
The sites, in eastern Shandong province, date from the Yangsho and
Longshan Neolithic periods, which were marked by the rise of agriculture
and ceramics production, and the transition from a nomadic way of life to
permanent settlements. The unearthed settlements were surprising in their
density, indicating that communities of the period were more closely-knit
than previously believed. Tombs and houses at the sites also give some
evidence that these societies were matriarchal in structure. (Phil
STEPHENS, Guochen WAN)