Site of the primitive town of the Neolithic Age

Location: Zhangqiu, Shandong Province

Period: 2500-2100 BC

Excavated: in 1931

Significance: The Longshan Culture is named after the site. It is the first site of prehistoric town ever found in China. It offers abundant important materials to the study of prehistoric culture.

 Introduction

Chengziya Site is about 5,000 years old with an area of 220,000 square meters. It is the earliest important town of the Neolithic Age in China, and rich in ancient cultural relics such as neolith, pottery and bone-made articles. Chengziya Site was one of the first grade cultural relics sites under State's protection. Its typical black pottery culture was discovered for the first time in history. 

White pottery gui (pitch with three legs): wine vessel or water vessel (up); Black pottery lei (jar with wide shoulders and narrowing foot): food container or ritual vessel (bottom)

 Longshan Culture

Longshan Culture represents a civilization in which both stone and bronze tools applied. During the time of Longshan Culture, people were organized in patriarchal clan community.

In pottery making, potter wheel were widely used . Painted potteries gave way to black ones. The black earthen wares were carefully polished for much finer quality, some objects even had the outer walls made as thin as eggshell. Longshan Culture, with the highest level of pottery making in Chinese history, is also known as Black Pottery Culture.

At the same time, bronze forge appeared. There are two pieces of bronze prick unearthed at Sanlihe village, in Jiaoxian County of Shandong Province, which remained from this transitional period between Stone Age and Bronze Age.

In aspect of construction, on the site of Longshan town, there were found ruins of an earth platform, rectangular in shape. It was made of layers of compact earth. This kind of architectural technique prevailed during the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th BC). Furthermore, defensive works was built up in ground structure, evolving from oldest big moat underground. A large number of rammed-earth walls came into being. Around Shandong Province , more than ten vestiges of ancient walls were discovered. Among them, there are seven walls densely located together, forming a wall complex. The appearance of wall marked the emergence of city that heralded the coming of a new era in which human civilization underwent huge improvements.