The Archaeology of Northeast China is an up-to-date synthesis of the archaeology and pre-history of the region called Dongbei by the Chinese, but known in the west as Manchuria.

Based on recent archaeological discoveries, and fully illustrated, the book presents evidence to show that far from being a backwater palely reflecting the glories of central China, Manchuria in prehistory both had its own developmental trajectory, parallel to but different from China, and contributed to the formation of the characteristics of what came to be Chinese.

New information on the northeast region of China indicates that it was not populated exclusively by nomadic peoples, but that some of the earliest farming sites can be found here and native plants such as millet and soybeans were domesticated early on. The Hongshan culture with its Goddess Temple and female figurines is unique, with spectacular and unprecedented jade carving.

Manchuria may have been an important location for the development of bronze weapons, and Lower Xiajiadian culture has painted pottery that can be seen to be forerunners of the magnificent Shang bronzes.