Answer:
The discovery of the Shu Ape – a mouse-sized primate (weighing only 100 to 150 grams) from the Middle Eocene Epoch (4.5 to 4 million years ago) appeared to support the Chinese “regional evolution” theory of an independent basis for the origin of man, in contrast to the theory that all human beings originated in Africa. Certainly, excavations have shown evidence of cultivated rice being grown at Neolithic sites along both the Yellow and Yangtze rivers around 10,000 BC. At Damaidi (a small village in the Weining Mountains on the Yellow River), cliff carvings dating from 6000–5000 BC have been discovered showing scenes of the sun and moon, celestial bodies and people hunting, herding and grazing animals. Neolithic culture was characterised by a settled lifestyle, based on farming and the rearing of domesticated animals, while the use of more sophisticated tools led directly to a growth in crafts, such as pottery and weaving. Archaeologists have shown that ancient Chinese potters produced delicate, polished and coloured vessels used for both functional and ceremonial purposes.
