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Banpo is located in Shaanxi province, China. In the Yellow river valley. East of Xi,an

It was discovered 1953 by Shi Xingbang
The first Yangshao site to undergo widespread excavation.

It existed around 4.7 to 3.6 thousand years ago BC
The site was 20 acres.

The list of items found includes: 250 tombs, 6 kilns, storage pits, tens of thousands of tools and artifacts
It is surrounded by ditch almost 20 feet wide.

Renowned for well preserved remains of early agricultural settlement
The community included large houses for gatherings, stables for animals, and areas designated for pottery production.

Characteristics of Banpo housing:
Houses were circular and semi-subterranean. Floors often below ground level

Roofing was steeply pitched thatched roofs supported by timber poles

Each dwelling typically consisted of multiple fireplaces and storage areas

It is one of the earliest examples of organized settlements in north China
Showcasing agricultural practices and social structures of Yangshao culture. And providing insights into the daily lives, customs, technological advancements of neolithic.

They had farming of pigs and dogs
Also evidence of sheep, cattle and goats. Hunting and fishing too.

Millet farming and plants (changes)
hazelnuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, hackberry seeds. Also hemp, and a few plants that are debated.

There were maybe 500 people.

There is a debatable marxist paradigm
Deceased children put in large redware pottery jars and burried. And, there were cemeteries on the outskirts of the site. A child burried in a wooden tomb, had bone, and green jade jewelry was found. There was also evidence of balls. Made of stone. They could be one of the earliest evidence of childrens toys. It could be the presence of social structure.

The site was nearby pottery supply. And, alot of clay objects were found
Usually in the form of clay bowls, or basins with rolled lips. It is typically distinguished by a red exterior with black geometrical drawings on the interior or exterior of the ceramic. Fish patterns were common.

Known for its wattle and daub houses, early settlement village with moat, and many archaeological finds. Banpo, or the Banpo Village, is an incredible piece of neolithic architecture heritage. Check it out today.

Bibliography: Su, Xinyuan; Peng, Zhanhui; Tan, Tao; Liu, Huifang; Xing, Huiping; Liu, Baoying; Chao, Xiaolian (2025). “Comprehensive analysis and study of the stratification phenomena of painted pottery unearthed from the Banpo site in China” (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aia.2025.100054).
Advances in Archaeomaterials. 6 (100054) 100054. doi:10.1016/j.aia.2025.100054 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.aia.2025.100054)

“Banpo Museum in Xi’an” (https://web.archive.org/web/20180131145303/http://www.chinamuse ums.com/ban_po.htm). chinamuseums.com. Archived from the original (http://www.chinamuseums.com/ban_po.htm)

Liu, Li (2020). “Banpocun, Archaeology of”. In Smith, Claire (ed.). Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology (2nd ed.). Springer, Cham

Price, T. Douglas; Feinman, Gary (2024). Images of the Past (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill

Allan, Sarah (ed), The Formation of Chinese Civilization: An Archaeological Perspective, ISBN 0-300-09382-9