Prehistoric China is China in the stone age. The beginning of stone age 1,700,000 ago is the Paleolithic period when humans start to live in groups and uses stone as tools. The stone age ended in the Neolithic period when the Xia Dynasty started. This period span from 10,000 to 2000 BC. By this time, humans live in communities, farms, rear animals and developed their own cultures and traditions. They were found mainly along Yellow River and Chang Jiang.
Yuanmou Man Site, Yuanmou County Chuxiong Prefecture Yunnan Province
The Yuanmou man lived 1.7 million years ago. The Yuanmou man was found in 1965.
Lantian Man Site, Lantian County Xian City Shanxi Province
The Lantian man lived between 530,000 to 1 million years ago. The Lantian man was found in 1963. The excavation also discovered 25 species of Gongwangling fauna fossils and stone age tools.
Peking Man Site, Zhoukuodian Fangshan District, Beijing
The Peking man lived here about 200,000 to 750,000 years ago. The peking man fossils were found in 1929. Excavation in subsequent years found more evidence of human activity in the area.
Nanjing Man Site, Jiangning District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province
The Nanjing man lived here about 580,000 to 620,000 years ago. The Nanjing man fossils were found in 1993 in a limestone cave.
Maba Man Site, Maba Town, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province
The Nanjing man lived here about 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. The Maba man fossils were found in 1958 in a cave.
Heto Man Site, Henan Township, Wushen Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Province
The Heto man lived here about 70,000 to 140,000 years ago. The Heto man fossils were found in 1922.
Wangfujing Paleolithic Museum
The site is at the basement of Oriental Plaza. Stone tools, bones and fossils dating back 25,000 years were discovered in 1996 during construction of the building.
Neolithic Period Kuahuqiao Culture
Region: Lower Yangtze River
Timeline: 6000 - 5000 BC
Kuahuqiao Culture Neolithic Site
Kuahuqiao Culture is a early Neolithic Site near Xianghu village dating back 8,000 years ago. The site is located near Qiantang River that flows in to Hangzhou Bay. It was discovered in 1970s.
Neolithic Period Hemudu Culture
Region: Lower Yangtze River
Timeline: 5000 - 3400 BC
Hemudu Culture Culture Neolithic Site
Neolithic Period Majiabang Culture
Region: Lower Yangtze River
Timeline: 5000 - 4000 BC
Majiabang Culture
This is Neolithic culture existed about 7000 years ago around the Taihu Lake area of the Yangtze River Delta region. The sites were discovered in 1959.
Neolithic Period Songze Culture
Region: Lower Yangtze River
Timeline: 4000 - 3000 BC
Songze Culture Culture Neolithic Site
Neolithic Period Liangzhu Culture
Region: Lower Yangtze River
Timeline: 3200 - 1800 BC
Liangzhu Museum
The Liangzhu Museum is an archaeological museum built to display the artefacts from the Neolithic Liangzhu culture. The Liangzhu culture is a prehistoric civilisation that dates back to 5000 BC. The culture was first discovered in 1936 in Hangzhou.
Liangzhu Museum
The jade artifacts was commonly found in Liangzhu sites and became one of the the symbols of the culture.
Neolithic Period Qianshanyang Culture
Region: Lower Yangtze River
Timeline: 4300 - 4100 years ago
Qianshanyang Relic Site, Lucun Ancient Village Balidian Town Huzhou City Zhejiang Province
The site was also where the earliest silk was found.
Neolithic Period Guangfulin Culture
Region: Lower Yangtze River
Timeline: 4100 - 3900 years ago
Guangfulin Site, Songjiang District Shanghai
A neolithic site belonging to the late stage of the Liangzhu Culture was uncovered here.
Zengpiyan Culture Site, Xiangshan District, Guilin City
Zengpiyan culture is the earliest one in Southeast China. The cave dated abck to betwwen 9,000 to 7,500 years ago. It was discovered in 1969.
Neolithic Period Tanshishan Culture
Region: Southeast China
Timeline: 5,000 ago
Tanshishan Culture Site, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province
The site was discovered in 1954 when villagers were building a dam across the Min River. It has the characteristics of a marine culture with the use of shells to make tools.
A Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.
Neolithic Period Hedang Culture
Region: Southeast China
Timeline: 4,000 years ago
Hedang Beiqiu Site, Jiuxu, Henan Village, Hedang Town, Wugang Road, Shiwan Town
The site is a late Neolithic site that existed about 4000 years ago. The site was dicovered in 1997.
Neolithic Period Shangzhai Culture
Region: North China
Timeline: 6,000 years ago
Shangzhai Culture Exhibition Hall, Pinggu District, Beijing City
The exhibition hall displays the discovery from neolithic site excavations around Pinggu District. This historic site in the museum was discovered in 1982.
