Maoqinggou culture

The Maoqinggou culture (Chinese: 毛庆沟文化, 800-200 BCE) is an archaeological culture of Inner Mongolia (Liangcheng County, Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, China, 013764), to the east of the Ordos culture area, centered around the Maoqinggou cemetery. It is an important site for the understanding of China's northern grasslands in the early Iron Age.^[1] The site has four phases, from the Spring and Autumn period to the late Warring States period, including a period of early Xiongnu occupation.^[2]

Geographical rangeinner Mongolia, China

PeriodMiddle Bronze Age

Dates800 BCE — 160 BCE

Preceded byOrdos culture

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Maoqinggou culture

[-500] SAKAS Tasmola Kulay Goro- khovo Itkul Sargat Ananyino culture Massagetae Sauro- matians Mumun Dian culture SABEANS Ordos Yanglang Shajing Pazyryk Tagar Chandman Aldy-Bel YUEZHI Subeshi ACHAEMENID EMPIRE MAHA- JANAPADAS ZHOU DYNASTY Slab-grave culture DONGHU MEROË Scythians Maoqinggou culture () and contemporary polities.
Geographical range	inner Mongolia, China
Period	Middle Bronze Age
Dates	800 BCE — 160 BCE
Preceded by	Ordos culture
Followed by	Xiongnu

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The site is noted for its Scythian (Saka) style artifacts and weapons, which are of a similar type to those the Saka Chandman culture of western Mongolia, in the Animal style.^[3][2][4] The dagger especially have typical ornithomorphic styles, and are dated to the 6th century BCE.^[5] The Maoqinggou culture is sometimes considered as a "Scythian culture".^[6] This Scythian culture disappeared in the 3rd-2nd centuries BCE with the onset of the Xiongnu.^[6]

It is thought that the early people of Maoqinggou were directly related to the nomadic cultures of the Northern Zone.^[2] Their culture expanded tremendously, and in the northeast replaced earlier cultures such as the Upper Xiajiadian.^[2]