Banpo Museum in Xi'an

The Banpo Museum is a modern building about three miles east of the city of Xi'an in Shaanxi Province. It is located near the bridge, the river, as long as one of the famous eight rivers crossed by renowned Chang'an. The museum was built in 1958 and is the first museum for a "man on the spot, " built a habitation site of early man. Its name comes from its location on the north side of the Banpo village. The site provides a settlement that is on the maternal clan commune period from the Neolithic period. Before its discovery in the twentieth century, it had lain in wait for some 6,000 years ago.

                                                     The exterior of the Banpo Museum in Xi'an.

                                             A bottle with sharppointed bottom unearthed in Banpo
The arrangement of the Neolithic village was pretty organized. In the middle of the settlement was a 160-square-foot great room, which was surrounded by many smaller rooms. All doors facing the inside of this larger space, which the spirit of the clan a cohesive group. Around the village was a 300-meter long ditch or trench in which to keep the animals from attacking was. To the east was a ceramic-producing area and the north, the cemetery district. In the city, around 46 houses. Some were square, some round, some half sunk into the ground, some on the surface. These houses already traditional Chinese wall-building methods and can be used as a precursor of later Chinese architecture, wood and earth.

                                                            Part of the Banpo Residence Site.

In a reconstruction of a Banpo rooms are means of production and everyday objects used by the Banpo people were issued. On the walls, animal skins are ground and pointed vessels for the penetration of water to go. A mat is spread on the floor next to the stove - the scene of the old man's life is suddenly spread out before our eyes: Members of the clan, led by the old grandmother, just in the process are the production of fire. Or outside, are hunters took aim and fired their arrows and threw flying balls are strong, followed a frightened deer sightings. By the river, the fishermen in the process of catching fish, in the jungles, women and children, has bone spades, collect wild fruits. As the sun sets in the west, shows the village, sparkling kitchen with fire, women roast grind of meat with stone cutters into flour, bone needles to sew with hemp fabric. The artists are careful to painting or impressive patterns focus in ceramic vessels, old grandmothers distribution of cooked food to the others, some people set gathered vegetables and cereals in containers for storage.

                                           A basin of human face and fish pattern unearthed in Banpo.

In the northern part of the Banpo village in the cemetery district, were buried in the adults. Some 174 graves have been discovered, lined up in regular order, but presents different funeral rites. Banpo people usually died at the age of about 30 On the east side of town is the Public kiln for ceramic firing. Six furnaces have been found. Initially, the pottery was carried out in the open. By the time of Banpo had invented two types of horizontal and upright kilns. Banpo ceramic production both fine-grained clay and sandy silt, the fine grain was of three types depending on their use. Banpo people used to decorate realistic methods of painting, its ceramic to point sketched drafts of the characteristics of different animals.

Been around twelve different types of markings or symbols on pottery vessels found in or on the premises. Together they comprise the major types of strokes used in Chinese characters, such as upright, crosswise, addictive, and so on. Letter does not exist at the time, but mentioned these brands and symbols almost certainly their meanings for the people at the time. A number of daily items are on display in the museum, such as stone axes, finely made fish hooks, fish? Bone forks, sharp bone needles, and all kinds of ornaments made of stone, bone and ivory.



source:http://www.chinamuseums.com/ban_po.htm