This black burnished earthenware jar is from the Dawenkou Culture (c. 4300 - 2400 BCE) of the Neolithic period in China. This small jar with a bulbous body has a short neck and two handles, one with a hooked protrusion and the other flattened. It was possibly made for ceremonial use. The Dawenkou Culture continued for nearly two thousand years in Shandong and northern Jiangsu province. There is a lot of variety present in the colour of the earthenware, such as red, gray, brown, yellow, black or white. One of the most distinctive features of the Dawenkou Culture is cups and bowls that have bold, geometric designs pierced into their pedestals.
