Prehistory

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China was inhabited，possibly more than a millon years ago，by Homo erectus.

The excavations at Yuanmou and later Lantian show early habitation.Perhaps the most famous specimen of Homo erectus found in China is the so-called Peking Man found in 1929.Early evidence for proto-Chinese millet agriculture is carbon-dated to about 6000 BCand associated with the Peiligang Culture（6000-4600 BC）of Xinzheng County in Henan Province.With agriculture came increased population，the ability to store and redistribute crops，and to support specialist craftsmen and administrators.In the late Neolithic Times，the Yellow River Valley began to establish itself as a cultural center，where the first villages were founded；the most archaeologically significant of those were found at Banpo（4800-4300BC），Xi’an）.

The early history of China is complicated by the lack of a written language during this period coupled with the existence of documents from later periods attempting todescribe events that occurred several centuries before.

The problem in some sense stems from centuries of introspection on the part of the Chinese people which has blurred the distinction between fact and fiction in regards to this early history.By 5000 BC，the Chinese were farming millet，giving rise to the Yangshao Culture（5000-3000BC）.This culture was replaced by the

Longshan Culture（2900-1900BC）.

Archaeological sites such as Sanxingdui（2800BC）and Erlitou（1800-1500BC）show evidence of a Bronze Age civilization in China.However，the earliest comprehensive history of China，Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian（145C.87BC），a renowned Chinese historiographer of the 2nd century BC，began perhaps in the 26th century BC，with an account of the Five Emperors.These rulers were semi-mythical sage-kings and moral exemplars，and one of them，the Yellow Emperor，is said to be the ancestor of the Chinese people.

Sima Qian related that the system of inherited rulership was established during the following period called the Xia Dynasty，and that this model was perpetuated in the recorded Shang and Zhou Dynasties.It was during these three dymasies that te historical China peure-3 Asakngi grone itead began to appear.