tailor made tour

Ask a Question

Code:


I accept the Privacy Policy.

Questions & Answers

Periods of Prehistory

Location

Reasons to visit

Our Ratings

Opening Hours

Archaeologists divide the prehistory of China into the following parts:
The Paleolithic Age (Early & Middle Period): Pithecanthropus erectus, about 0.5 millions years ago
The Paleolithic Age (Middle & Later Period): Upper Cave Man, about 0.2 million years ago
The Neolithic Age (Early Period): Matrilineal society, without social classes division
The Neolithic Age (Middle Period): Matrilineal society transferred to Patriarchy society, social classes divisions appearance
The Neolithic Age (Later Period): human being civilization gradually formed in central China which is around 4,900 years ago.
 
♦ Early Humans
 
Time
Place
Tool & Living Hood
Civilization
Significance
Yuanmou Human
About 1.7million years ago
Yuanmou County, Yunnan
Crude stone tools
Finding & Hunting
Using nature fire, without clothing, without names
Earliest human being discovered in China
Beijing Human (Ape man)
About 0.7 million years ago to 0.2 million years ago
Zhoukoudian Site in Beijing
Crude stone tools
Finding & Hunting
Using nature fire and keep it, without names
The most famous primitive man in the world
Upper Cave Man
About 18 thousand years ago
Zhoukoudian Site in Beijing
Fine stone tools with process technology
Finding, hunting & fishing
Wearing clothing, with family name and lived together
 
 
Characterized by the use of rudimentary chipped stone tools, the Paleolithic Age or Old Stone Age is the earliest history of human beings. With the Yunnan Yuanmou Man lived 1,700,000 years ago as the representative, Lantian Man and Peking Man also lived during this period. At that time, the uncivilized people were gregarious, living in the caves and living on wild animals, wild fruit, fish and even tree leaves and grass; farming and stockbreeding didn't come into being. During the period, human beings evolved from ape-man to Homo erectus, through Homo sapiens, and then finally formed the shape of the modern man. In addition, people of that time first discovered fire, and learned to use the natural fire in their daily lives, which helped to improve people's physical qualities a lot.

Between the Paleolithic Age and Neolithic Age is the Mesolithic Age. People of that time still lived on hunting and fishing, and clans began to appear. Working more co-operatively in these clans, people invented bows and arrows, fishing spears and nets as well as some hunting tools which made their daily lives much easier. They also invented canoes and techniques for constructing simple houses, and began to domesticate dogs, sheep and pigs.

The last period of the Stone Age, the Neolithic Age is a new starting point in China's ancient economy and culture. Marked by the emergence of farming and stockbreeding, humanity graduated from depending on nature to transforming nature. People began to live a settled life and use grinding stone tools. Meanwhile, the skills of making pottery and spinning were developed, and paintings, characters, sculptures, music and dances all began to appear. Relics of the Neolithic Age are found throughout China, some of which are still intact in villages in such places as Yangshao and Longshan Cultural Areas of the Yellow River watershed and the Hemudu Cultural Area of the Yangtze River watershed.

Top Attractions in

Recommended Tours