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The BanPo Neolithic Village
The BanPo Neolithic Village (banpo yizhi)is
six kilometers east of Xi'an. This excavated site of a village
dates back to 4500 BC and was discovered in 1953. The village
during this period was called Yangshao and 45 houses, 6
pottery kilns, 200 storage pits, 250 adult's tombs and children's
burial jars, 10,000 tools and utensils were unearthed. The
distinct culture of these villagers was known as Yangshao
culture. The most interesting aspect of this is that Yangshao
culture was very matrifocal. There are more female tombs
and graves here than male, and the women's graves contain
more objects and valuables than their male counterparts
do.
Today, the site itself is pretty flat and
uninspiring. It takes a lot of imagination to picture how
this place used to be and the Disney-style "Yangshao
Village" which has been reconstructed at the site makes
this area less appealing.
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