Every year archaeologists in China discover numerous rich sites
demonstrating significant regional variability in Neolithic cultures,
primarily from about 6500 B.C. to 1900 B.C. This paper discusses a topic
not covered in detail in current or forthcoming publications, the
origins and development of agricultural systems. Recent fieldwork in
both northern and southern China suggests that initial steps toward
settled agricultural villages began circa 11,000 B.P. I review evidence
for the cultivation of millet, rice, and other plants as well as animal
husbandry in different regions of China. There are several later
Neolithic sites in northern China with evidence for rice cultivation. I
suggest how future research projects can investigate regional variation
and change over time in subsistence and settlement during the Neolithic
Period.