# List of Neolithic cultures of China

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This is a list of Neolithic cultures of China that have been unearthed by archaeologists. They are sorted in chronological order from earliest to latest and are followed by a schematic visualization of these cultures.
It would seem that the definition of Neolithic in China is undergoing changes. The discovery in 2012 of pottery about 20,000 years BC indicates that this measure alone can no longer be used to define the period. It will fall to the more difficult task of determining when cereal domestication started.

## List

| Dates (BCE) | English name | Chinese name | Modern-day name and location |
| 18000–7000 | Xianren Cave culture (Paleolithic) | 仙人洞、吊桶环遗址 | Wannian County, Shangrao, Jiangxi |
| 8500–7700 | Nanzhuangtou culture | 南莊頭遺址 | Yellow River region in southern Hebei |
| 7500–6100 | Pengtoushan culture | 彭頭山文化 | central Yangtze region in northwestern Hunan |
| 7000–5000 | Peiligang culture | 裴李崗文化 | Yi-Luo river basin valley in Henan |
| 6500–5500 | Houli culture | 後李文化 | Shandong |
| 6200–5400 | Xinglongwa culture | 興隆洼文化 | Inner Mongolia-Liaoning border |
| 6000–5000 | Kuahuqiao culture | 跨湖桥文化 | Zhejiang |
| 6000–5500 | Cishan culture | 磁山文化 | southern Hebei |
| 5800–5400 | Dadiwan culture | 大地灣文化 | Gansu and western Shaanxi |
| 5500–4800 | Xinle culture | 新樂文化 | lower Liao River on the Liaodong Peninsula |
| 5400–4500 | Zhaobaogou culture | 趙宝溝文化 | Luan River valley in Inner Mongolia and northern Hebei |
| 5300–4100 | Beixin culture | 北辛文化 | Shandong |
| 5000–4500 | Hemudu culture | 河姆渡文化 | Yuyao and Zhoushan, Zhejiang |
| 5000–3000 | Daxi culture | 大溪文化 | Three Gorges region |
| 5000–3000 | Majiabang culture | 馬家浜文化 | Lake Tai area and north of Hangzhou Bay |
| 5000–3000 | Yangshao culture | 仰韶文化 | Henan, Shaanxi, and Shanxi |
| 4700–2900 | Hongshan culture | 紅山文化 | Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, and Hebei |
| 4100–2600 | Dawenkou culture | 大汶口文化 | Shandong, Anhui, Henan, and Jiangsu |
| 3800–3300 | Songze culture | 崧澤文化 | Lake Tai area |
| 3400–2250 | Liangzhu culture | 良渚文化 | Yangtze River Delta |
| 3100–2700 | Majiayao culture | 馬家窯文化 | upper Yellow River region in Gansu and Qinghai |
| 3100–2700 | Qujialing culture | 屈家嶺文化 | middle Yangtze region in Hubei and Hunan |
| 3000–2000 | Longshan culture | 龍山文化 | central and lower Yellow River |
| 2800–2000 | Baodun culture | 寶墩文化 | Chengdu Plain |
| 2500–2000 | Shijiahe culture | 石家河文化 | middle Yangtze region in Hubei |
| 1900–1500 | Yueshi culture | 岳石文化 | lower Yellow River region in Shandong |
| 1600–1400 | Erligang culture | 二里崗文化 | North China Plain |

## Schematic outline

These cultures existed during the period from 8500 to 1500 BC. Neolithic cultures remain unmarked and Bronze Age cultures (from 2000 BC) are marked with *. There are many differences in opinion on the dating for these cultures, so the dates chosen here are tentative:
| Year (BC) | North-east China (1) | Upper Yellow River (2) | Middle Yellow River (3) | Lower- Yellow River (4) | Lower- Yangtze (5) | Middle- Yangtze (6) | Sichuan (7) | Southeast China (8) | South-west China (9) |
| 8500 | | | Nanzhuangtou 8500–7700 | | | | | | |
| 8000 | | | Nanzhuangtou 8500–7700 | | | | | | |
| 7500 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7000 | | | | | | Pengtoushan (including Chengbeixi and Zaoshi) 7000–5800 | | | |
| 6500 | | Dadiwan | Peiligang | Houli 6500–5500 | | Pengtoushan (including Chengbeixi and Zaoshi) 7000–5800 | | Zengpiyan 7000–5500 | |
| | Xinglongwa 6200–5400 | Laoguantai | Cishan | Houli 6500–5500 | | Pengtoushan (including Chengbeixi and Zaoshi) 7000–5800 | | Zengpiyan 7000–5500 | |
| | Xinglongwa 6200–5400 | Baijia 6500–5000 | Jiahu | Houli 6500–5500 | | Pengtoushan (including Chengbeixi and Zaoshi) 7000–5800 | | Zengpiyan 7000–5500 | |
| 6000 | Xinglongwa 6200–5400 | Baijia 6500–5000 | Lijiacun 6500–5000 | Houli 6500–5500 | Kuahuqiao 6000–5000 | Pengtoushan (including Chengbeixi and Zaoshi) 7000–5800 | | Zengpiyan 7000–5500 | |
| 5500 | Xinglongwa 6200–5400 | Baijia 6500–5000 | Lijiacun 6500–5000 | Houli 6500–5500 | Kuahuqiao 6000–5000 | | | | |
| | | Baijia 6500–5000 | Lijiacun 6500–5000 | Beixin 5300–4500 | Kuahuqiao 6000–5000 | | | | |
| | Xinle 5300–4800 | Baijia 6500–5000 | Lijiacun 6500–5000 | Beixin 5300–4500 | Kuahuqiao 6000–5000 | | | | |
| 5000 | Xinle 5300–4800 | | Yangshao 5000–3000 | Beixin 5300–4500 | Hemudu 5000–3400 | Daxi 5000–3300 | | Dapenkeng | |
| | Xinle 5300–4800 | | Yangshao 5000–3000 | Beixin 5300–4500 | Hemudu 5000–3400 | Daxi 5000–3300 | | Fuguodun 5000–3000 | |
| | | | Yangshao 5000–3000 | Beixin 5300–4500 | Majiabang 5000–4000 | Daxi 5000–3300 | | Fuguodun 5000–3000 | |
| 4500 | Zhaobaogou 4500–4000 | | Yangshao 5000–3000 | | Majiabang 5000–4000 | Daxi 5000–3300 | | Fuguodun 5000–3000 | |
| | Zhaobaogou 4500–4000 | | Yangshao 5000–3000 | Dawenkou 4300–2600 | Songze 4000–3000 | Daxi 5000–3300 | | Fuguodun 5000–3000 | |
| 4000 | Zhaobaogou 4500–4000 | | Yangshao 5000–3000 | Dawenkou 4300–2600 | Songze 4000–3000 | Daxi 5000–3300 | | Fuguodun 5000–3000 | |
| 3500 | | | Yangshao 5000–3000 | Dawenkou 4300–2600 | Songze 4000–3000 | Qujialing 3500–2600 | | Fuguodun 5000–3000 | |
| | Hongshan (incl. Fuhe) 3400–2300 | | Yangshao 5000–3000 | Dawenkou 4300–2600 | Songze 4000–3000 | Qujialing 3500–2600 | Yingpanshan 3100–? | Fuguodun 5000–3000 | |
| | Hongshan (incl. Fuhe) 3400–2300 | Majiayao 3300–2700 | Yangshao 5000–3000 | Dawenkou 4300–2600 | Liangzhu 3200–1800 | Qujialing 3500–2600 | Yingpanshan 3100–? | Fuguodun 5000–3000 | |
| 3000 | Hongshan (incl. Fuhe) 3400–2300 | Majiayao 3300–2700 | | Dawenkou 4300–2600 | Liangzhu 3200–1800 | Qujialing 3500–2600 | | Tanishan | |
| | Hongshan (incl. Fuhe) 3400–2300 | Banshan 2700–2400 | | Dawenkou 4300–2600 | Liangzhu 3200–1800 | Shijiahe 2500–2000 | Baodun 2800–2000 | Shixia | |
| | Hongshan (incl. Fuhe) 3400–2300 | Banshan 2700–2400 | Longshan 2800–2000 | Longshan 2800–2000 | Liangzhu 3200–1800 | Shijiahe 2500–2000 | Baodun 2800–2000 | Nianyuzhuan | |
| 2500 | Hongshan (incl. Fuhe) 3400–2300 | Machang 2400–2000 | Longshan 2800–2000 | Longshan 2800–2000 | Liangzhu 3200–1800 | Qinglongquan | Baodun 2800–2000 | Qinglongquan | |
| | Hongshan (incl. Fuhe) 3400–2300 | Machang 2400–2000 | Longshan 2800–2000 | Longshan 2800–2000 | Liangzhu 3200–1800 | Longshan 2400–2000 | Baodun 2800–2000 | Hedang 3000–? | Baiyangcun 2200–2100 |
| | | *Qijia 2300–1800 | *Shimao 2300–1800 | *Shimao 2300–1800 | | Liangzhu 3200–1800 | Longshan 2400–2000 | Baodun 2800–2000 | Hedang 3000–? | Baiyangcun 2200–2100 |
| 2000 | *Xiajiadian 2000–300 | *Qijia 2300–1800 | *Shimao 2300–1800 | *Shimao 2300–1800 | Liangzhu 3200–1800 | Longshan 2400–2000 | Baodun 2800–2000 | Hedang 3000–? | Dalongtan 2100–2000 |
| | *Xiajiadian 2000–300 | *Qijia 2300–1800 | *Erlitou 1900–1500 | *Yueshi 1900–1500 | Liangzhu 3200–1800 | *Panlongcheng 1900-1400 | | Hedang 3000–? | Dalongtan 2100–2000 |
| | *Xiajiadian 2000–300 | *Siba 1950–1500 | *Erlitou 1900–1500 | *Yueshi 1900–1500 | *Maqiao 1800–1200 | *Panlongcheng 1900-1400 | | Hedang 3000–? | |
| 1500 | *Xiajiadian 2000–300 | *Siba 1950–1500 | *Erligang 1600–1400 | *Yueshi 1900–1500 | *Maqiao 1800–1200 | *Panlongcheng 1900-1400 | *Sanxingdui 1700–1150 | *Wucheng 1600-? | |
| | *Xiajiadian 2000–300 | | *Erligang 1600–1400 | | *Maqiao 1800–1200 | *Wucheng 1400-? | *Sanxingdui 1700–1150 | *Wucheng 1600-? | |
| | *Xiajiadian 2000–300 | *Siwa 1350-650 | *Huanbei 1350-1300 | *Huanbei 1350-1300 | | *Wucheng 1400-? | *Shi'erqiao 1200-800 | *Wucheng 1600-? | |
| 1000 | *Xiajiadian 2000–300 | *Siwa 1350-650 | *Zhou dynasty 1046–256 | *Zhou dynasty 1046–256 | | *Wucheng 1400-? | | *Wucheng 1600-? | |
For this schematic outline of its neolithic cultures China has been divided into the following nine parts:
* Northeast China: Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning.
* Northwest China (Upper Yellow River): Gansu, Qinghai and western part of Shaanxi.
* North-central China (Middle Yellow River): Shanxi, Hebei, western part of Henan and eastern part of Shaanxi.
* Eastern China (lower Yellow River): Shandong, Anhui, northern part of Jiangsu and eastern part Henan.
* East-south-eastern China (lower Yangtze): Zhejiang and biggest part of Jiangsu.
* South-central China (middle Yangtze): Hubei and northern part of Hunan.
* Sichuan and upper Yangtze.
* Southeast China: Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, southern part of Hunan, lower Red River in the northern part of Vietnam and the island of Taiwan.
* Southwest China: Yunnan and Guizhou.