Study On The Social Differentiation In Middle And Late Stages Of Hongshan Culture

As an important archaeological culture of the Neolithic Age in northeast of China,Hongshan Culture lasted more than 1500 years from the period of gestation and developing to the peak.The middle and late stages are from 6000 to 5000 years ago,whose remains mainly conclude archaeological sites and relics.The sites mainly conclude settlements,accumulate stone tombs,altars,temple of goddess,cellar holes,ash pits,etc.The relics mainly conclude production tools made of stone or bone,sculptures,living or sacrifice articles made of pottery,accessories or burial and sacrifice articles made of jade,copper rings,pottery molds and so on.According to the remains,we can know that the social differentiation has been formed during this period.The social differentiation in middle and late stages concludes social complexity and emergence of social hierarchy and class,whose premise and foundation is the social division of labor.The social division of labor in middle and late stages mainly concludes the separation of agriculture,fishing and hunting,handicraft production,the separation of different departments producing stone,jade and pottery,the separation of management authority in social system.The specialization level has been raised,the specialized production departments has emerged,and the social structure has become complicated under the social division of labor.This was mainly reflected through the evolution of scale,layout,function of settlements and the power and function of wizards as the spiritual leader of community organizations.The settlement stratification and the role's shift of a wizard shows that the social differentiation is closely associated with a civilized society,the emergence of social class and early states.