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| ON THE RELATION BETWEEN HUMAN AND NATURE IN THE NEOLITHIC AGE OF CHINA |
| MAO Xi |
| The Editorial Department of the Journal of Xi'an United University, Xi'an 710065, China |
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Abstract The influence of geographic environment on the cultural development in the Neolithic Age of China can be summaried in five aspects, namely, on the procedure of the cultural development, on the velocity of the cultural development, on the cultural characteristic, on the cultural pattern, and on the civilization in early China. From the beginning of the Neolithic age of China to the development of Chinese primitive agriculture and the forming of Chinese civilization, natural geographic environment, mainly the suitable climate and particular geographic appearance, has considerable influence on the procedure of the cultural development in the Neolithic Age of China. Because of the influence of various natural environments in China, regional differences in the velocity of the cultural development can easily be identified. The Yellow River valley and the Yangtze River vally obviously develop faster than the other regions. Deu to the influence of Chinese geographic environment, the culture in the Neolithic Age in China is different from those in other countries, and there are different culture in different region in the Neolithic Age in China. Chinese culture in the Neolithic Age shows the pattern of pluralistic. The Yellow River valley and Yangtze River valley grew up to be the center of Chinese culture in the Neolithic Age. The comparative isolation of geographic environment and the appropriate natural condition, especially in climate, contribute a lot to characterize the Chinese civilization with local pluralistic disracteristic and common development centred around the Yellow River Valley and Yangtze River Valley. The Chinese ancestors' exploitation and modification of environment in the Neolithic Age of China are display ed in seven aspects:the development of agriculture, botanizing, fishery and hunting, the feed of domestic animal, the selection on residence, the occasional dwelling construction, the manufacture of the primitive tool, the interfering in the primitive biology system. The emergence of the primitive agriculture symbolizes a new phase during which human beings reform the nature rather than adapt to it. Though the cultural development of the Neolithic Age of China is featured by agricultural development, fishing, hunting and gathering still occupy a significant position in the primitive economy.
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Received: 28 June 2001
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2002, Vol. 17 
