Xia Dynasty - Ancient China for Kids

Chinese civilization started around 10,000 BCE, when a group called the Yangshao (yahng show) settled near the Huang He River. Archaeologists have uncovered many Yangshao villages in northern China. In one village, they found the remains of farmhouses, built partly underground, with plaster floors, and roofs held up with wooden posts.

About 3,000 BCE, another farming group appeared, the Lungshan people. The Lungshan were very advanced for their time. They harvested silk, and used it to weave fine fabrics. They used the potters wheel. They baked strong bricks in ovens, and used them to build their homes. They worked together on flood control and irrigation projects. They had great engineering skills. Legend has it that their "Great Engineer", Yu, founded the Xia (sometimes called the Hsia) Dynasty in about 2,000 BCE.

There are no written records of life during the Xia Dynasty. Our knowledge of these people comes from ruins of their town, and ancient stories and legends.
The ancient story of the Wise Woman, Loawnu tells us quite a bit about life in Xia times. Click here to read it.