Banpo was an ancient village along the Yellow River where people lived between 4500 and 3750 B.C.E. It is a great example of how the ancient Chinese adapted their lifestyle to live along the river. It had 45 houses that had floors that were dug into the ground to make them more safe. There were also caves under the ground to store food. There was a trench around the village to protect it from enemies. The trench also kept animals from wandering away and helped to drain water. The people of Banpo had advanced engineering techniques for living comfortably near the water.
The small villages and farming communities along the Yellow River grew into larger cities with a single government. The first of these governments was the Xia Dynasty. This dynasty lasted between 2070 and 1600 B.C.E.
According to legend, the Xia Dynasty was started by a man called Yu the Great. Yu worked for 13 years to control the flooding of the Yellow River, which ruined the crops of farmers. He wanted to do this job so badly that it is said he did not go home for 13 years while he worked on the project. According to the story, he developed irrigation systems along the Yellow River like canals and dams. Canals helped bring water to crops.
This story of the first great leader of China shows how important the Yellow River was to the early people. The leader is remembered for controlling the river and helping farmers use its waters.
Yu began the practice of a son following his father as king. This is known as “hereditary succession.”
How did the people of the Yellow River Valley adapt to the constant flooding?
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They learned to build dams and canals, channeling the water to help them.
They lived on boats, so that when the river flooded, their homes would float.
They did not adapt to the flooding and were destroyed.
They would migrate inland during flooding times, then return after it was safe.