32 Ancient Cities That Are Older Than the Pyramids

29. Banpo, China: Yangshao Culture Hub

Located near modern Xi'an, Banpo (occupied c. 4500-3750 BCE) offers a classic glimpse into China's Neolithic Yangshao culture. This well-organized village featured residential areas, pottery kilns, and a surrounding defensive ditch. Famous for its distinctive red pottery adorned with geometric patterns and fish motifs, Banpo reveals early millet farming, communal living structures, and sophisticated craft specialization. It stands as compelling evidence of complex, settled life flourishing in East Asia thousands of years before the pyramids and the later Chinese dynasties known from written history.