Archaeologists believe the Xia Dynasty began around the year 2,000 BCE. Legend says this dynasty was founded by the best engineer from the Lungshan people, who settled along the Huang He River.

Archaeologists have found not found any written records from the dynasty. What we know comes from ancient stories and the ruins of villages.

These early people worked together and used a system of irrigation to water the fields. They baked bricks to use as strong building materials. They floored their huts with plaster instead of earth. They used a potter’s wheel to make vases and pots. They made colorfully dyed and woven silks.

The people were deeply religious. They believed in the gods of nature, like the river god, the rain god, and the earth god. The most powerful god was the sky god, T'ien.

In Xia times, peasants celebrated the Spring Festival as a time to worship the gods of agriculture to help the crops grow. The peasants also wanted their friends and families to grow.

Several villages would gather together for the festival. Young boys and girls would meet to find future husbands and wives. Brides and grooms were about 15 years old.

Source: Xia Dynasty
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