Liangzhu Builds Dams and Carves Jade

Flourishing between roughly 3300 and 2300 BC in the low-lying plains of the Yangtze River Delta, the Liangzhu culture established one of the earliest complex urban centers in East Asia. Archaeological excavations, beginning with Shi Xingeng's work in Yuhang County in 1936, revealed an extensive Neolithic community anchored in northwestern Hangzhou. At the heart of this regional network lay an ancient walled city encompassing 290 hectares, framed by earthen ramparts pierced by water gates and surrounded by an outer zone of settlements spanning roughly 700 hectares. Because earlier domestic deposits are largely absent, researchers propose that the urban center was planned and founded with deliberate intent.

The inhabitants developed an elaborate hydraulic and defensive infrastructure suited to their wetland surroundings. Located in a basin between the Daxiong and Dazhe mountains of the Tianmu Range, the settlement relied on natural hills and constructed earthen mounds, interconnected by a web of navigable waterways and docks. Roughly eight kilometers north of the city, archaeologists identified a complex of dam-like structures interpreted as an extensive flood-control system. Within the urban walls, artificial flood barriers protected key civic spaces, including the 30-hectare Mojiaoshan palace platform. Timber piers, embankments, stilted houses, and boat equipment such as paddles reflect a daily routine shaped by river transport and rising water levels.