FA 34a Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Majiayao Culture, Yangshao Culture
Document Summary
Many handprints are of the left hand, perhaps the right hand was used to hold something to apply the paint. One scholar has suggested that most, if not all, of the handprints belonged to women. The motifs on this type of pottery has been described as tufted zoomorphs , feather and animal like, however this description is debatable. Another piece from this era depicts a figure which might be either a male or a female. The tufted zoomorphs also seem to depict hands. The function of these vessels has been linked to shamanism, especially with its possible connection to feathers and animals. Polished stone tools are typical aspects of the neolithic era. In china the onset of farming emerged possibly around 8,000 bce, following the end of an ice age. China were clustered to the north around the yellow river. The predominant pottery from the sites at yangshao consist of red and black painted pottery.
