Qijia Culture
Qijia Culture is a significant Neolithic culture that emerged in northwest China, likely influenced by contemporary cultures in Mongolia and Central Asia. Discovered in 1923 by Swedish geologist Johan Gunnar Andersson at Qijiaping village, archaeological findings have revealed around 350 sites associated with this culture. The Qijia people inhabited villages along the Yellow River, constructing rectangular homes with clay plaster and circular hearths, alongside storage pits. Their cemeteries typically featured individual burials accompanied by grave goods like pottery, tools, and animal bones, indicating practices of domestication for sheep, pigs, dogs, horses, and cattle.
Notably, Qijia Culture is characterized by its distinctive ceramics, often yellow in color and adorned with combed and incised designs, as well as amphora shapes. Millet was a primary agricultural crop, reflecting the community's reliance on farming. Additionally, the culture is recognized for its copper metalworking; approximately fifty artifacts, including rings, pendants, mirrors, and tools, have been found, primarily made of copper with some pieces containing lead or tin. This combination of agricultural, architectural, and artistic achievements marks Qijia Culture as a pivotal development in the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age in China.
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Subject Terms
Qijia Culture
Related civilizations: China, Central Asia.
Also known as: Ch’i-chia culture (Wade-Giles).
Date: 2000-1000 b.c.e.
Locale: Gansu Province of northwestern China
Qijia Culture
This Neolithic culture of northwest China may have been influenced by contemporary cultures in Mongolia and other parts of Central Asia. Archaeological evidence for this culture was first discovered by the Swedish geologist Johan Gunnar Andersson in 1923 at the village of Qijiaping, after which this culture is named. Since then, approximately 350 sites have been discovered.
The Qijia (CHIH-chiha) people lived in villages built on terraces on the Yellow River (Huang He). They built rectangular homes covered with clay plaster with round or circular hearths and surrounded by storage pits. Cemeteries were located near the villages and contained mostly individual burials with grave goods such as pottery, tools, and animal bones. Sheep, pig, dog, horse, and cattle bones provide evidence for the domestication of these animals. This culture is noted for its ceramics, mostly yellow with comb and incised designs and amphora shapes. Millet was a major crop. Also significant is the culture’s copper metalwork. About fifty metal pieces, including rings, pendants, mirrors, and various tools, have been found. Most of these are copper but some are mixed with lead or tin.
Bibliography
Chang, Kwang-chih. The Archaeology of Ancient China. 4th ed. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1986.
Debaine-Francfort, Corinne. The Search for Ancient China. Translated by Paul G. Bahn. London: Thames and Hudson, 1999.