Yangshao

Refers to a Neolithic Chinese culture and period that flourished ca. 5000 to ca. 3000 BCE. The earliest known Neolithic Chinese culture, Yangshao culture is mainly characterized by its red and black painted pottery. It is named after a site at Yangshao cun in Henan province, discovered in 1921 by the Swedish archaeologist Johan Gunnar Andersson. Centered on the Wei River valley, it covered a large area from Baoji, Shaanxi province, eastwards into Henan province.