Xishuipo

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Xishuipo (Chinese: 西水坡; Pinyin: Xīshuǐpō) is a Neolithic site in Puyang, Henan, China, associated with the Yangshao culture. The site was excavated from 1987 to 1988; 186 burials were discovered at the site.

In one of the burials, tomb M45, the body of a tall adult male was flanked by two mosaics formed from white clam shells, a tiger design to the right and a dragon design to the left. Clam shell mosaics were also found in two nearby caches. The burial was accompanied by the bodies of three young children. Some archaeologists believe that the man was a shaman.

[edit] References

• Allan, Sarah (ed), The Formation of Chinese Civilization: An Archaeological Perspective, ISBN 0-300-09382-9