Liangzhu culture

Liangzhu culture
Geographical range	Jiangsu, Shanghai, & Zhejiang in China
Period	Neolithic China
Dates	3300–2300 BC
Preceded by	Songze culture, Hemudu culture
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City
Criteria	Cultural: (iii), (iv)
Designated	2019 (43rd session)
Reference no.	1592
Region	Eastern Asia
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Chinese name
Chinese	良渚文化
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Liángzhǔ Wénhuà

The Liangzhu (/ˈljɑːŋˈdʒuː/) culture or civilization (3300–2300 BC) was the last Chinese Neolithic jade culture in the Yangtze River Delta. The culture was highly stratified, as jade, silk, ivory and lacquer artifacts were found exclusively in elite burials, while pottery was more commonly found in the burial plots of poorer individuals. This division of class indicates that the Liangzhu period was an early state, symbolized by the clear distinction drawn between social classes in funeral structures. A pan-regional urban center had emerged at the Liangzhu site in northwestern Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and elite groups from this site presided over the local centers.^[1] The Liangzhu culture was extremely influential and its sphere of influence reached as far north as Shanxi and as far south as Guangdong.^[2] The primary Liangzhu site was perhaps among the oldest Neolithic sites in East Asia that would be considered a state society.^[3]^[4] The type site at Liangzhu was discovered in Yuhang County, Zhejiang and initially excavated by Shi Xingeng in 1936.

On 6 July 2019, Liangzhu was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[5]

^ Underhill, Anne (2013). A Companion To Chinese Archaeology. p. 574.
^ "The height of China's history". People's Daily online. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
^ Alastair Sooke (10 October 2019). "The mysterious ancient figure challenging China's history". BBC. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
^ Robson, David (18 April 2020). "Liangzhu: the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilisation that time forgot". South China Morning Post.
^ "Seven cultural sites inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List". UNESCO. 6 July 2019. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2019.

[A_Companion_To_Chinese_Archaeology-1] Underhill, Anne (2013). A Companion To Chinese Archaeology. p. 574.

[2] "The height of China's history". People's Daily online. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-07-14.

[3] Alastair Sooke (10 October 2019). "The mysterious ancient figure challenging China's history". BBC. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.

[4] Robson, David (18 April 2020). "Liangzhu: the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilisation that time forgot". South China Morning Post.

[5] "Seven cultural sites inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List". UNESCO. 6 July 2019. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2019.

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