Jiahu

Jiahu is a Neolithic archaeological site in Henan Province, China, notable for well-preserved settlement remains and early technological and cultural finds dating to the early Holocene. Excavations at Jiahu revealed houses, burials and a variety of artefacts that illuminate early settled life in the Yellow River basin region.

Among the most significant discoveries are tuned bone flutes, early domesticated rice remains, and chemical evidence for fermented beverages, all dated to roughly 7000-5800 BCE. These finds have contributed to understanding early music, agriculture and social practices in Neolithic north China.

The site was occupied by a settled community during the early Neolithic and shows evidence of organized village life, craft production and ritual activity. Archaeological work has focused on stratigraphy, artefact typology and residue analysis to establish chronology and cultural practices.

Jiahu lies in Henan Province in central-eastern China, on the plains that feed into the Yellow River system. The site is inland from China’s eastern seaboard and sits within an agriculturally productive river plain.

• Key discoveries: Archaeological finds include bone flutes and evidence of cultivated rice and fermented beverage production dating to the early Neolithic period, around 7000-5800 BCE.
• Archaeological importance: The site provides some of the earliest direct evidence in China for music, rice cultivation and fermented beverage use in a settled community context.