Blossom of China-Painted Pottery Pieces from the Miaodigou Site

China's prehistoric painted pottery is primarily concentrated in the Yellow River Basin, particularly in its upper and middle reaches, where the most distinctive examples have been found. Among these, the discovery of the Miaodigou Culture stands out, as this period saw a significant number of painted pottery artifacts unearthed in eastern Gansu, central Shaanxi, western Henan, and southern Shanxi. This book presents over 200 newly discovered painted pottery pieces from the Miaodigou Site, carefully selected from a collection of more than a thousand artifacts based on different phases, vessel types, and decorative patterns. The author provides a detailed chronological classification and analysis, with each artifact accompanied by descriptions of its catalog number, dimensions, material, and decorative motifs. Among them, the frequent recurrence of patterns such as circular dots, circles, spirals, "Xiyin patterns", linked arcs, overlapping arcs, grids, as well as four-petal and multi-petal floral designs, vividly showcases the captivating complexity of prehistoric decorative systems. Therefore, this collection of painted pottery not only fills gaps left by previous discoveries at the site but also greatly enriches our overall understanding of the painted pottery of the Miaodigou Culture. At the same time, it once again inspires reflection on prehistoric art. Moreover, painted pottery undoubtedly serves as a crucial subject for studying the formation of Chinese civilization.