Jiahu

Jiahu

賈湖
Location in north China
Location	China
Region	Henan
Coordinates	33°36′47″N 113°40′01″E / 33.613°N 113.667°E / 33.613; 113.667
History
Founded	c. 7000 BC
Abandoned	c. 5700 BC
Cultures	Peiligang culture

Coordinates: 33°36′47″N 113°40′01″E / 33.613°N 113.667°E / 33.613; 113.667 Jiahu (Chinese: 賈湖; pinyin: Jiǎhú) was the site of a Neolithic settlement based in the central plain of ancient China, near the Yellow River. It is located between the floodplains of the Ni River to the north, and the Sha River to the south, 22 km (14 mi) north of the modern city of Wuyang, Henan Province. Most archaeologists consider the site to be one of the earliest examples of the Peiligang culture. Settled around 7000 BC, the site was later flooded and abandoned around 5700 BC. The settlement was surrounded by a moat and covered a relatively large area of 55,000 square meters (5.5 hectare). At one time, it was "a complex, highly organized Chinese Neolithic society," home to at least 250 people and perhaps as many as 800.

The important discoveries of the Jiahu archaeological site include the Jiahu symbols, one of the world's earliest examples in the history of writing, carved into tortoise shells and bones; the thirty-three Jiahu flutes carved from the wing bones of cranes, believed to be among the oldest playable musical instruments in the world; and evidence of wine fermented from rice, honey and hawthorn leaves.