Archaeologists have found that the stone reliefs carved in the Neolithic settlement of Shimao in northern China are strikingly similar to the characteristic motifs found on bronzes made in China hundreds or even thousands of years later.
Shimao settlement is located in Shaanxi province. It was founded around 2000 BC. e. (the late period of the Neolithic archaeological culture of Longshan) and is the largest Chinese city known to science of this era. The village is surrounded by two stone walls, which are 2.5 meters thick on average. The perimeter of the outer wall is 5.7 kilometers, and the inner wall is 4.2 kilometers. Each of the walls had gates and towers. Inside, there was a large stone structure, which archaeologists consider a palace complex, as well as residential buildings, artisan workshops and cemeteries.
Although the settlement was found back in 1976, systematic excavations began only in 2011. Archaeologists found frescoes with geometric patterns on the inner wall, and pieces of jade were embedded in the wall itself, possibly they played the role of protective talismans. Remains of animals and 80 human skulls were found under the city gates. According to the hypothesis of scientists, animals and people were sacrificed during construction.
Excavation site in Shimao. Photo: CCTV.
During the last excavations, about thirty stone reliefs were found. Most of them are geometric designs similar to the frescoes on the inner wall, but a few are depictions of anthropomorphic creatures with monstrous faces that resemble tusks. Their hands are located on the sides of the head, as if they are lying with their head towards the viewer, resting their hands on the ground. It is noteworthy that similar images were already known to historians, but they belong to a later era. Such creatures can be seen on bronze vessels of the Shang (1600 BC - 1046 BC) and Zhou (1046 BC - 256 BC) dynasties.
Researchers are now trying to find other connections that would unite the inhabitants of Shimao with the masters of the times of Shang and Zhou. “The beast-faced images found in Shimao may have had a significant impact on the motifs of Bronze Age Chinese art,” said Sun Zhouyong, director of the Shaanxi Provincial Archeology Institute. “The Shimao discoveries continually challenge our understanding of the early civilizations of China. We now have more reason and confidence to conclude that the Shimao settlement represents a landmark discovery for China and all of East Asia.”
