Archaeological Research on Cultures in Northeast China from the Xia to the Warring States Period

Abstract

This open access book mainly focuses on Northeast China, which historically included Heilongjiang Province, Jilin Province, Liaoning Province, and the eastern part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This area borders Mongolia to the west, the ocean to the south, the Korean Peninsula to the east by the Yalu River and the Tumen River, and Russia to the north by the Heilongjiang River and Ussuri River. In Northeast China, the period from the Xia to the Warring States was an important cultural stage between the Neolithic Age and the (Qin) Han and Wei dynasties. Since 1921, a wealth of archaeological data of this period has been gained through investigations and excavations by scholars from China and abroad. This treasure trove of data covers a considerable timespan and broad geographic area. Accordingly, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive analysis to distill valuable archaeological insights from materials unearthed throughout the Northeast. This book breaks down the chronological coordinates of archaeological cultures during the Xia and Warring States period into seven natural geographic regions, namely the Nenjiang River basin in the Northeast; the mountainous area of Liaoxi; the Liaoxi Plain; southern Liaodong; northern Liaodong; the Second Songhua River basin; and the Tumen River basin. Further, it pursues a multi-dimensional approach: grouping individual sites and cemeteries, categorizing multiple sites and cemetery groups, and identifying the period division and chronological sequence of the archaeological cultures. Based on a comparison and integrated studies of these seven coordinates, we identify four archaeological periods: the Xia-Shang period, the late Shang period, the Western Zhou to Spring and Autumn period, and the Warring States period.