Dadiwan culture
Encyclopedia
The Dadiwan culture was a Neolithic
culture found primarily in Gansu
and western Shaanxi
, China
. The culture takes its name from the earliest layer found at the type site at Dadiwan. The remains of millet
and pig
s were found in sites associated with the culture. The culture shared several similarities with the Cishan
and Peiligang culture
s.
The type site
at Dadiwan was discovered at Qin'an County
, Gansu
and excavated from 1975 to 1984. Dadiwan was built on a mountain slope south of the Qingshui River near the Wei River
. The oldest layer of the site is from the Dadiwan culture, the middle layer is from the Yangshao culture
and the youngest layer is from the Longshan culture
.
The foundation of a large building, measuring 290 m² and 420 m² when including the outer courtyard, was discovered at Dadiwan. The building, known as F901, is described by Chinese archaeologists as a communal meeting hall. The building was built on an elevated rammed earth
foundation, which was then layered with burnt clay.
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
culture found primarily in Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
and western Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The culture takes its name from the earliest layer found at the type site at Dadiwan. The remains of millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
and pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s were found in sites associated with the culture. The culture shared several similarities with the Cishan
Cishan culture
The Cishan culture was a Neolithic Yellow River culture in northern China, based primarily around southern Hebei. The Cishan culture was based on millet farming, the cultivation of which on one site has been dated back 10,000 years...
and Peiligang culture
Peiligang culture
The Peiligang culture is a name given by archaeologists to a group of Neolithic communities in the Yi-Luo river basin in Henan Province, China. The culture existed from 7000 BC to 5000 BC. Over 70 sites have been identified with the Peiligang culture. The culture is named after the site discovered...
s.
The type site
Type site
In archaeology a type site is a site that is considered the model of a particular archaeological culture...
at Dadiwan was discovered at Qin'an County
Qin'an County
Qin'an County is an administrative district in Gansu, the People's Republic of China. It is one of 58 counties in Gansu, and administratively under Tianshui prefecture, with the city of the same name being the prefecture seat. Its postal code is 741600, and in 1999 its population was 567,553 people...
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
and excavated from 1975 to 1984. Dadiwan was built on a mountain slope south of the Qingshui River near the Wei River
Wei River
The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....
. The oldest layer of the site is from the Dadiwan culture, the middle layer is from the Yangshao culture
Yangshao culture
The Yangshao culture was a Neolithic culture that existed extensively along the central Yellow River in China. The Yangshao culture is dated from around 5000 BC to 3000 BC. The culture is named after Yangshao, the first excavated representative village of this culture, which was discovered in 1921...
and the youngest layer is from the Longshan culture
Longshan culture
The Longshan culture was a late Neolithic culture in China, centered on the central and lower Yellow River and dated from about 3000 BC to 2000 BC...
.
The foundation of a large building, measuring 290 m² and 420 m² when including the outer courtyard, was discovered at Dadiwan. The building, known as F901, is described by Chinese archaeologists as a communal meeting hall. The building was built on an elevated rammed earth
Rammed earth
Rammed earth, also known as taipa , tapial , and pisé , is a technique for building walls using the raw materials of earth, chalk, lime and gravel. It is an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and natural building methods...
foundation, which was then layered with burnt clay.