The earliest Neolithic cultures of Northeast China: Recent discoveries andnew perspectives on the beginning of agriculture

Although north China has long been recognized as one of the nuclear centers of agriculture, it is surprisingly absent from most recent publications on the beginnings of agriculture. New discoveries made in this region during the last 15 years are important contributions to our understanding of the t ransition to agriculture. Moreover, through these discoveries we can challe nge the common view of north China as a homogeneous area of agricultural de velopment. Through the introduction of the Xinglongwa (ca 8000-6800 BP) and the Zhaobaogou (ca 6800-6000 BP) cultures, the earliest sedentary societie s in northeast China, I attempt to progress beyond generalizations, such as the useful model of the Chinese Interaction Sphere, and examine more thoro ughly the developments in one subregion of north China. The data presented are used to address important issues associated with the transition to agri culture as well as to point to new avenues for future research in this fiel d.