Chinese Sumer——Longshania

06-07

Longshania lies in the lower reaches of the Yellow River of what is now modern-day middle Shandong and southeastern Hebei.

Its the most important cradles of Chinese civilization, which can be analogized as 「Chinese Sumer」.

Prehistory

Houli-Beixin culture（6000BC-4000BC） is the oldest neolithic culture found in Longshania，which correspond to Ubaid peroid of Mesopotamia.

Dawenkou culture become one of the most splendid neolithic cultures in 4th millienium BC`s China . It had already entried the society of patriarchy.

Predynastic Peroid

In 3rd millienium BC， an important neolithic culture raised，named as Longshan culture，firstly found in Chengziya Country Longshan Street，Zhangqiu District，Jinan City .

The site of Chengziya is one of biggest predynastic cities（enclouse settlement） found in North China. Longshan culture is known for its splendid black pottery with several different types such as 」Gui「（鬹）and "Ding"（鼎）.Beautiful jade artifacts are also found.

Longshan culture might also have invented the prototype of Chinese Oracle Bone Script. Many scripts or symbols have been found on the pottery and bone artifacts in many sites of Longshan culture.

But the concrete relation between Longshan Pottery Script and Oracle Bone Script is still distuped.Different scripts from Longshan culture itself even seem unable to intercommunicate .

Paleo-dynastic Peroid

The history of proto-Shang Chinese is full of mysteries.The semi-legedary ancester of Shang Chinese，Xie（契），is said to be born form a bird egg.Moreover，Shang Chinese worshipped the bird totem.The bird totem of Shang Chinese is considered as a prototype of Chinese Fenghuang（鳳凰）.

Xie lived the same time of Yu the Great.During Xia era，Shang Chinese were the vassal of Xia Dynasty.Zhaoming（昭明），son of Xie，build Dishi （砥石，today Xingtai City）as the capital of Shang Chinese.

The culture of proto-Shang corresponds to Yueshi culture in Paleo-dynastic Longshania.

However，there were also other tribes and kingdoms in Paleo-dynastic Longshania.During King Taikang（太康）`s reign ,Xia Dynasty was usurped by King Yi（羿），king of Youqiong（有窮，today Dezhou city）.The name「Yi」，which is closely related to the bird worship，indicates that he is a Longshanian king.

During "King Yi Usurping Xia"（后羿代夏），the capital of Xia Dynasty moved to the site of Xinzhai（新砦）.The site of Xinzhai shows both characteristics of Erlitou culture and Yueshi culture.Xinzhai was replaced by Erlitou itself later.

Middle-dynastic Peroid

In late Xia era，Xia Dynasty declined and reigned the Heluo area only.Shang Chinese marched westwards and established Shang Dynasty.Longshania and Erlitoulia were unified for the first time.

King Zuyi（祖乙）moved the capital to Xing（today Xingtai City），the only Longshanian capital of Shang Dynasty.

Erlitou culture and Yueshi were totally mixed to form Erligang culture.The ruins of Xing is a typical site of Erligang culture in Longshania.

Neo-dynastic Peroid

With Zhou`s conquest of Shang,the former homeland of Shang Chinese——Longshania was inhabited by Zhou Chinese.

Jiang Shang（姜尚），the chief advisor of Zhou Chinese，was crowned as the duke of neo-dynastic Longshania.The official name of neo-dynastic Longshania is「Qi」（齊），with Linzi（臨淄，today Zibo City）as its capital.

Classic Peroid

During Spring and Autumn era，the kingdom of Qi became one of four strongest powers——Qin、Chu、Jin and Qi.

Duke Huan （桓公）is listed among「Five Hegemons」.He fought with Tocharians（大夏） from the west and nomadic peoples（騎狄）from the north.

In early Warring States era，Qi was still a superpower.The Jiang Dynasty of Qi was replaced by the Tian Dynasty in 386BC.

In 284BC，kingdom of Han、Zhao、Wei、Yan and Chu made a league to invade Qi ，defeating Qi and sacking Linzi.Qi declined after then.

Imperial China

Kingdom of Qi was finally conquested by Qin Empire.

Besides Linzi，Qingzhou（青州，today Weifang City）、Yinzhou（兗州，today Jining City） and Jizhou（冀州，today Baoding City） and Jinan also became important cities.

Both Qingzhou、Yinzhou and Jizhou are named after three of legendary「Nine States" created by Yu the Great.

Although Longshania is a great part of China，no orthodox dynasty made its capital in Longshania. Xianbei Yan（337-370,384-407，398-410）、Xiongnu Zhao（304-351）and Northern Qi（550-577）kingdoms made their capitals in the Central Plain.

Jinan City greatly raised after the Song Dynasty，becoming the metropolis of Longshania.It`s a lucky coincidence that the oldest site of Longshan culture just locates in today`s Jinan.

」Jinan「means that the city is built on the south bank of Ji River.Ji River is one of major rivers of the agricultural Chinese civilization（Jiang、He、Huai and Ji）.

Both He and Ji ran into the sea through Longshania.Because of the frequent changes of Yellow River`s paths，Ji River has been occupied by Yellow River today.