The Archaeology of Northeast China: Beyond the Great Wall

The Archaeology of Northeast Chinais an up-to-date examination of the archaeology and prehistory of Manchuria, the region known by the Chinese as Dongbei. Based on recent archaeological discoveries and fully illustrated, the book counters the notion that Manchuria in prehistory was a backwater of central China. It presents evidence to show that Manchuria had its own developmental trajectory, parallel to but different from China's, and contributed to the formation of the characteristics of what came to be Chinese. With contributions from Chinese archaeologists working in the region, the book provides a firsthand account of recent developments. It presents new information on the Northeast region of China indicating that some of the earliest farming sites can be found there. The book also discusses the Hongshan culture with its unique Goddess Temple and female figurines as well as lower Xiajiadian culture with painted pottery that is considered the forerunner to the magnificentShang bronzes.