Revisiting the Chronology and Regional Interactions of the Xiaoheyan Culture (小河沿文化) in Liaoxi, China

This study examines the Xiaoheyan Culture (小河沿文化), previously regarded as a “missing link” in the Neolithic sequence of Northeast China. Its chronology is reassessed, and its cultural relationships with surrounding regions are investigated. By comparing the material culture of three debated regions, the Xiaoheyan Culture is defined as an independent tradition, distinguishable from the Xueshan Phase 1 Culture (雪山一期文化) and the Wufang Type (午方类型), based on differences in pottery types, vessel forms, decorative patterns, and burial structures. A chronological framework was established through the seriation of six major pottery types–deep bowl (深鉢), basin (盆), zun (尊), jar (壺), dou (豆), and pottery stand (器臺)-dividing the culture into three phases: emergence, development, and decline. Radiocarbon (C14) analysis places its existence at ca. 3200–2000 B.C.E., showing overlap with the late Hongshan Culture (红山文化) and continuity into the Lower Xiajiadian Culture (夏家店下层文化) without temporal gaps. Regional comparisons based on shared pottery types and radiocarbon consistency suggest that the Miaozigou Type (庙子沟类型) strongly influenced the formation of the Xiaoheyan Culture. Cultural exchanges with the Xueshan Phase 1 and Wufang traditions varied in intensity, while hybrid pottery of the Nanbaoligaotu Type (南宝力皋吐类型) indicates that this area functioned as a hub of interaction between the Xiaoheyan and Pianpu (偏堡文化) cultures.