3000 BC Chinese Majiayao culture clay pottery a clay jar of salt with handle , olive belly colors painted salting field 马家窑盐罐
which indicates ancient Northern-west China. lake-salting industry, . size 4"x 3 1/2"H, there were three long line cracked and well repaired.
https://www.hommesandgardens.com/shop/p/chinese-majiayao-culture-banshan-phase-neolithic-vessel
https://ceramica.fandom.com/wiki/Majiayao_culture?veaction=edit
青海湖，天然盐湖---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlrrNsN4KTg
he Majiayao culture was a group of Neolithic communities who lived primarily in the upper Yellow River region in eastern Gansu, eastern Qinghai and northern Sichuan, China.Plantilla:Sfnp The culture existed from 3300 to 2000 BC. The Majiayao culture represents the first time that the Upper Yellow River region was widely occupied by agricultural communities and it is famous for its painted pottery, which is regarded as a peak of pottery manufacturing at that time.
The archaeological site was first found in 1924 near the village of Majiayao in Lintao County, Gansu by Swedish archaeologist Johan Gunnar Andersson, who considered it part of the Yangshao culture.Plantilla:Sfnp Following the work of Xia Nai, the founder of modern archaeology in the People's Republic of China, it has since been considered a distinct culture, named after the original site. This culture developed from the middle Yangshao (Miaodigou) phase, through an intermediate Shilingxia phase.Plantilla:Sfnp The culture is often divided into three phases: Majiayao (3300–2500 BC), Banshan (2500–2300 BC) and Machang (2300–2000 BC).Plantilla:Sfnp[1]
马家窑文化是仰韶文化向西发展的一种类型，出现于距今五千七百多年的新石器时间晚期,历经了三千多年的发展。
有马家窑、石岭下、半山、马厂等类型。根据三种类型文化分布的地层关系和碳14测定的数据确定，马家窑类型产生于距今5300年至4850年之间，石岭下类型产生于距今4850年至4650年之间，半山类型产生于距今4650年至4350年之间，马厂类型产生于距今4350年至4050年之间。
马家窑文化因位于黄河流域，拥有第四纪形成的黄厚土地。当地有大河冲积平原、河水冲刷形成的台地、丘陵岗地，地势开阔，土质肥沃，气候温暖，适合农业耕作。因此，在马家窑文化时期，农业发展较快。就目前考古发现情况来看，当时的居民种植粟和黍，主要以经营原始的旱作农业为主，同时大量使用石制、骨制、陶制和木制的农业工具[5]。
马家窑陶器以彩陶为主，而且无论数量还是精致程度都堪称新石器时代文化之冠，经典型的马家窑陶器包括细陶土制成的罐与碗，底色为黄色或红色，上有亮黑色的装饰。其装饰图形的特色为弯曲漩涡线条，中心点缀圆点，另外也有波浪形线条或平形交叉的线条设计，在罐或瓮上尤其常见。其他装饰还包括“之字形”粗线条、青蛙、鸟类、舞蹈人物等设计。其中尤以1973年在青海省大通县上孙家寨遗址发现的舞蹈纹彩陶盆最为有名。
已出现骨饰、石器、骨器，以及玩具如陶制波浪鼓等。此时期的青铜制作品规模有限，对当时经济方面无甚影响。[6]
属于马家窑类型的甘肃省临夏市东乡林家遗址曾出土一件使用陶范铸造的青铜小刀，这件青铜刀可能是中国地区最早的青铜器。另外在属于马厂类型的蒋家坪遗址亦曾发现一把已经残缺的铜刀。[7]