|
Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia
38 (4) 2010
|
Annotation:
The Origin and Development of the Wucheng Culture (in the Context of Intercultural Contacts between
Bronze Age Inhabitants of the Lower Yangtze Valley and Indochina Peninsula)
S.V. Lapteff.
In the present paper the author makes an attempt to generalize and analyze the fi nds of the late Neolithic and Paleometal
Periods from the Middle and Lower Yangtze. The presence of stable contacts (including ethnologically signifi cant
traits) is traced between the ancient cultures of this region and the Indochina Peninsula, inhabited by representatives
of Austroasiatic peoples (the Viet, the Khmers). Based on comparisons, the Bronze and Iron Age inhabitants of the
major part of South China are concluded to be Austroasian. Particular attention is paid to the Wucheng culture and
its complex social structure.
Keywords: Yangtze Valley, Bronze Age, Wucheng culture, the Viets (Yue), the Khmers, Austroasiatic Peoples.