Yu Culture

The Yu Culture was a bronze age Neolithic culture in central Xinhao from about 2300 to 1700 BCE that resided in the middle and lower areas of the Yu River. The first archeological find of this culture took place at the NAME Archeological Site in DATE, with the first excavations in YEAR and YEAR. The culture is named after the river it resided near, and its core territory stretched down much of the Yu River, with several settlements even reaching into parts of Central Xinhao.

The culture is widely regarded as one of the world's first civilizations, and is most known for its mythical figures and stories. The population notably skyrocketed throughout the 2000s BCE, however the growth slowed in the early 1800s BCE as many of the civilizations began to become strained by overpopulation. The Yu culture is also linked to many of the first examples of writing in Xinhao, with early Xin being developed throughout its existence.

According to the area and cultural type, the Yu culture can be divided into two main civilizations: NAME Yu and NAME Yu. The first of these to come to prominence, the FIRST NAME Yu, when the city of NAME began the first large-scale war between settlements by invading and occupying the city of NAME during the 2300s BCE. The SECOND NAME Yu rose not long after in the 2200s with the city of NAME and the city of NAME unifying to protect themselves from the forces of the city of NAME. Both cultures would expand throughout the 2100s until they met each other and the two began clashing for territory. Eventually, the FIRST NAME would fall into disarray, with the SECOND NAME Yu taking much of the FIRST NAME's territory as a result. FIRST NAME's quickly territory fell quickly to just two cities: NAME and NAME. However, legends say that the mythical hero named NAME gathered all the men the two cities could offer and, using his strategic might, eventually retook all of FIRST NAME and even two settlements of the SECOND NAME. For his heroism, he was made the First Emperor of FIRST NAME Yu. Clashes between the two would continue until sometime in the 1700s BCE, when the Eunuch Emperors rose from SECOND NAME and took all of FIRST NAME.

During the beginning of the Yu Culture's early period, the two cultures that rose were both loosely unified, only swearing allegiance to their capital cities to gain protection from the other. Most citizens in the Yu culture viewed themselves as citizens of their city, not the greater union. This would change during the late period after MYTHICAL MANS NAME allegedly rose and centralized FIRST NAME Yu. SECOND NAME Yu remained decentralized for most of its existence until the Eunuch Emperors ascended. Yu society and cultural life mostly centered on agriculture, craftmanship, and warfare, as wars between the two civilizations became increasingly common throughout both periods. Most cities were ruled by some form of monarch during the early period, which pledged their limited allegiance to the leader of the capital city of whichever state they were a member of. The late period saw a similar system, however allegiance to FIRST NAME's Emperor was much more absolute.

The Yu culture is considered to be the first major civilization in Asania and the beginning of Xinhao's storied history. Many of Xinhao's traditions, myths, and ways of life can be traced back to the Yu civilization. Many Xin Archeologists have been eagerly trying to uncover evidence to prove or disprove the mythical figures that originate from the Yu culture, with limited success.