Banpo

Refers to the early phase (ca. 4800-4300 BCE) of the Neolithic Yangshao culture. It is named after a Neolithic village site near Xi'an in Shaanxi province. Banpo architecture already includes the traditional Chinese orientation of the entrance towards the south and the use of wooden roof support frames. Banpo was a major site for ceramic production; a kiln has been excavated. Vessels were usually shaped by hand but were sometimes coiled or formed in molds. Basins and bowls with contracted bases are typical vessel shapes. Vessels were decorated with impressions or with a black or grey slip and were burnished. Geometric patterns predominate; human masks are an unusual motif sometimes used. A series of about 20 different marks incised on the rims of vessels may be a primitive means of recording events.