Xichengyi culture

Xichengyi culture
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Xichengyi culture and contemporary cultures and polities in Continental Asia
Geographical rangeGansu, China
Dates2,000-1,600 BCE
Major sitesXichengyi, Ganggangwa, Huoshiliang
Preceded byMajiayao culture (3,300–2,000 BCE)
Followed bySiba culture (1,600–1,300 BCE)[1]
Shajing culture (800–200 BCE)[1]
Han Dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE)[1]
Xichengyi sites (red)

The Xichengyi culture (Ch:西城驿文化) was an ancient culture in the central Heihe River region of the Hexi corridor, from 2,000 to 1,600 BCE.[2] It is contemporary with the Qijia culture to its southeast. It succeeded the Majiayao culture (2,300–2,000 BCE) in the area, and preceded the Siba culture.[1]

Some of its important archaeological sites are Xichengyi, Ganggangwa (where there are also some earlier Machang culture remains), and Huoshiliang (exclusively Xichengyi culture).[2]

The Xichengyi culture practiced bronze smelting extensively, as seen by the quantity of slabs and furnace material (adobe constructions with blast pipes).[3] The copper ore was from the neighbouring Beishan Mountain.[3]

  • Huoshiliang site, EBA 2000-1600 BCE
    Huoshiliang site, EBA 2000-1600 BCE
  • Huoshiliang bronze slabs, 2000-1600 BCE
    Huoshiliang bronze slabs, 2000-1600 BCE
  • Huoshiliang pottery shards, Xichenyi culture, 2000-1600 BCE
    Huoshiliang pottery shards, Xichenyi culture, 2000-1600 BCE
  • Ganggangwa site
    Ganggangwa site
  • Ganggangwa site pottery shards, Xichengyi culture, 2000-1600 BCE
    Ganggangwa site pottery shards, Xichengyi culture, 2000-1600 BCE
  • Xichengyi adobe building and bronze slabs.[3]
    Xichengyi adobe building and bronze slabs.[3]
  • Xichengyi blast pipes.[3]
    Xichengyi blast pipes.[3]
  1. ^ a b c d Li, Xin; Wei, Wenyu; Ma, Minmin; Lu, Minxia; Du, Linyao; Yang, Yishi; Chen, Guoke; Ren, Lele (2023). "Transformation of animal utilization strategies from the late Neolithic to the Han Dynasty in the Hexi Corridor, northwest China: Zooarchaeological and stable isotopic evidence". Frontiers in Earth Science. 10. Bibcode:2023FrEaS..1064803L. doi:10.3389/feart.2022.1064803. ISSN 2296-6463.
  2. ^ a b Qiu, Menghan; Li, Haoran; Lu, Minxia; Yang, Yishi; Zhang, Shanjia; Li, Ruo; Chen, Guoke; Ren, Lele (2022). "Diversification in Feeding Pattern of Livestock in Early Bronze Age Northwestern China". Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 10. doi:10.3389/fevo.2022.908131. ISSN 2296-701X.
  3. ^ a b c d Chen, G.; Cui, Y.; Liu, R.; Wang, H.; Yang, Y.; Pollard, A. M.; Li, Y. (October 2020). "Lead isotopic analyses of copper ores in the Early Bronze Age central Hexi Corridor, north‐west China". Archaeometry. 62 (5): 952–964. doi:10.1111/arcm.12566. hdl:21.11116/0000-0006-0FF7-4. S2CID 216443994.