Siwa culture

The archaeological culture is divided into two phases: the early phase associated with the sites at Lintao, Zhuoni, Lintan, and Heshui; and, the final phase during the late Shang and proto-Zhou periods associated with the Jiuzhan, Xujianian, and Lanquiao sites. Siwa culture is known for producing a type of pottery that had saddle-shaped mouths.

Context

The Siwa culture followed the disintegration of the Qijia culture. This opened a period of interaction and conflict between the Siwa and the people of the Central Plains.

The Siwa culture has often been associated with the tribes appearing in Chinese historical sources, such as the Rong (Xirong, Shanrong, Quanrong...) or the Qiang. These tribes, whose captives sometimes were sacrificed in Shang dynasty rituals, ultimately toppled the Western Zhou dynasty in 771 BCE. The Siwa people produced relatively abundant ceramics, reflecting a rather varied diet.

The neighboring Xindian culture was roughly contemporary with the Siwa culture and was influenced by it. Some scholars hold that Siwa culture descended from the Qijia culture. There are also those who believe that the culture was a remnant of Xunyu, which is associated with the Xianyun people. However, questions are raised against this theory since Siwa sites are small with low subsistence levels. According to Feng Li, these could not have sustained an advanced society like the Xianyun. The debate remains open.

The Siwa culture was followed by the appearance of Eurasian steppe cultures, particularly Saka cultures such as the Ordos culture, which again interracted in various ways with the Central Plains.