Hemudu & Putuoshan photobook

Putuoshan trip: Hemudu historic site & Putuoshan (Oct 31- Nov 2 2002)

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Hemudu

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Hemudu

Introduction

An accidental excavation revealed a miracle.
On June 1973, while building irrigation works, the local peasants discovered the ruins of Hemudu. Thus a civilization centre in remote antiquity covered for 7000 years, with independent development process was brought into light.
The site (two excavations in 1973 and 1977) which reappeared in the fields where ancient Hemudu peasants once lived and laboured, using art techniques such as scene sculpture, reveals how Neolithic peasants lived and laboured 7000 years ago, showing vividly the historical organ and civilization enlightenment of ancient China. It possesses higher value and popular significance for people to research and understand the development history of Chinese nation and developing process of human civilization.

Hemudu across the river

Hemudu Washed away by Floods [ English version of people daily ]

Chinese archeologists say the deterioration of water environment contributed to the disappearance of a Neolithic culture in east China's Zhejiang Province.
The Hemudu Neolithic site, covering an area of 40,000 square meters, can be dated back 7,000 years. However, it ended abruptly about 2,000 years later.
The former curator of Hemudu Museum, Shao Jiuhua, says at least two floods occurred during the Neolithic period. The second not only washed away the inhabitants' houses, but also forced the course of a local river eastward to the ocean.
Shao says, large quantities of wood piles and posts lying in a crisscross fashion in a 2,800-square-meter area of the historical site give strong evidence of a flood. A silt layer which becomes thicker eastward makes additional proof.
As a result of the change of the river course, sea water poured on to local farms twice a day. The land eventually became too salty for crops, which forced the residents to leave.
Archeologists have found over 6,700 artifacts at the Hemudu Neolithic site, ranging from production tools to art works. The Hemudu culture is seen as one the beginnings of Chinese civilization.

Hemudu Museum