The Yangshao culture was a Neolithic culture that flourished in the Yellow River valley of China, approximately from 5000 to 3000 BCE. It is known for its distinctive painted pottery, which often featured geometric designs and animal motifs. The culture primarily engaged in agriculture, cultivating crops like millet, and relied on hunting and fishing for additional food sources. Archaeological sites associated with the Yangshao culture have revealed evidence of early settlements, including houses made of mud and wood. The people lived in small communities and practiced a form of ancestor worship, as indicated by burial practices that included grave goods.