This is the History of the World Podcast with me Chris Hasler

and this is volume 2 the ancient world

episode 30 the Shan dynasty Episode 30, the Shanghai Dynasty. Oh, Let's have a refresher from last week. There were many different cultures that emerged and disappeared during the

Neolithic period of China. The most considerable of these were centered

around the Yellow River and the Yancey River.

We know that ceramic pottery has a deep history in China,

and perhaps Chinese cultures were the first to make pottery anywhere in the world.

During the 6th millennium B.C.

the Hemudu and Madjoban cultures emerged around the Lower Yanksi,

while the Yangshao culture emerged in the Upper Yellow River region.

These were certainly not the only cultures of China, but they were significant ones.

They were all skilled agriculturalists and pot makers. Significant advances in textile weaving and building

construction can be discovered from this era. Great effort was invested into the pottery creations.

Elaborate decorations and depictions were painted onto the surfaces of the pots,

which would be created from clays of different colours either due to the colour of the

clay or the material added to the clay such as charcoal to turn the clay black for example. It is likely that there was a ritual purpose to many of the

ceramic creations and a spiritual meaning to the designs featured on them.

In the Yangtiao culture of the Yellow River, there were significant advances in social hierarchy

as is evident by the burial culture demonstrating significant amounts of grave goods in some of the graves.

We can also see an upsurge in silk production, something which will define China's global role in the coming

millenniums. These cultures would lead us up to a point in history around 3,000

b.C. E. when we can see them diminish in favour of more advanced cultures.

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