Yangtze River History Ⅰ

Yangtze River History – Important Ancient Cultural Relics

In 20th century, archeology proved that Yangtze River Basin was the cradle of Chinese Nation Ancient Human. It is also one of the cradles of Chinese ancient culture.

In 7000 years ago, some districts in Yangtze River Basin have begun to plant rice. Since Sui and Tang Dynasties, the economic center started to move to Southern. Until Ming and Qing Dynasty, the midstream and downstream of Yangtze River Basin, especially in the delta of Yangtze River, is the main source of tax.

Yangtze River History – Relics of Ancient Human Culture

In Old Stone Age, about 2 or 3 millions years to 1 million years ago, Yangtze River Basin was one of the important areas where early human lived and evolved. Among the ancient human fossils, there are early period, middle period and late period.

In recent years, scientists found that about 200 years ago, there appear ancient human in Yangtze River Three Gorges, which were named "Wushan People". In 1965, there found Yuanmou Man which was lived in 1,700,000 years ago in Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province. They are late period of early ape man stage, which is earlier than Peking Ape Man. Maybe they already can use fire. In 1988, there unearthed a skull fossil of ape man in Yuanmou, which was in 3 or 4 millions years ago. All of these proved that the upstream of the Yangtze River is important source of human. In midstream and downstream of the Yangtze River Basin, there found two tooth fossils of ape man in 1975 and 1976, and then found a complete skull fossil of australopithecine in this area in 1989.

In Changyang, Hubei Province, which belongs to the Old Stone Age, found "Changyang people" who lived in 100,000 years ago. They are early period Homo sapiens or ancient human.

The Sichuan "Ziyang People", which belongs to Old Stone Age, lived in about 10,000 to 100,000 years ago. They are late period Homo sapiens. In recent years, Lijiang, Yunan also found the remains of these people.

The New Stone Age begun in 7000 or 8000 years ago. The basic feature of this period was the appearance of polished stone implements, potting and waving. There are remains of these things unearthed in upstream, midstream and downstream of the Yangtze River.

In the upstream of the Yangtze River, except Chengdu Plain, there found some relics, about ten sections. Among these relics, the most famous is Mt. Wu Daxi Culture Relic. There found 214 tombs; unearthed stone ax, stone mirror, stone cancel, fishhook, weaving wheels and some other instruments of production, kettle, jar, glass, blow and some other daily necessaries, and some adornments, which represented the three stages of the New Stone Age from middle age to late age.