Pengtoushan culture
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The Pengtoushan culture was a Neolithic culture located around the central Yangtze River region in northwestern Hunan province, China. It dates to around 7500–6100 BC,[1] and was roughly contemporaneous with the Peiligang culture to the north. It is named after the type site at Pengtoushan.
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| Geographical range | China | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Neolithic China | ||
| Dates | 7500–6100 BC | ||
| Type site | Pengtoushan | ||
| Major sites | Bashidang | ||
| Chinese name | |||
| Traditional Chinese | 彭頭山文化 | ||
| Simplified Chinese | 彭头山文化 | ||
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Sites
Pengtoushan, located in Li County, Hunan, is the type site for the Pengtoushan culture. Excavated in 1988, Pengtoushan has been difficult to date accurately, with a large variability in dates ranging from 9000 BC to 5500 BC.[2] Cord-marked pottery was discovered among the burial goods.[2]
Another important site is Bashidang, also in Li County, belonging to the late stage of the Pengtoushan culture. It features a wall and a ditch, as well as a star-shaped platform.
Rice cultivation
Rice residues at Pengtoushan have been carbon dated to 8200–7800 BC, showing that rice had been domesticated by this time.[3] At later stages, pots containing grains of rice were also dated to approximately 5800 BC.[4] By 4000 BC, evidence of rice domestication in the region is abundant in the form of bone and wooden spades, as well as pottery.[4] The rice grains at Pengtoushan are larger than naturally occurring wild rice. Large amounts of rice grains have also been found at Bashidang.
Gallery
Remains of a bone spade from the Bashidang site
Reconstructed vessel
Reconstructed leg of a vessel
