The area of present-day Jinan has been inhabited for more than 4000 years. The Neolithic Longshan Culture was first discovered at the Chéngzǐyá site to the east of Jinan (Zhangqiu City) in 1928. One of the characteristic features of the Longshan Culture are the intricate wheel-made pottery pieces it produced. Most renowned is the black "egg-shell pottery" with wall thicknesses that can go below 1 millimeter.
During the Spring and Autumn Period (722 – 481 BCE) and Warring States Period (475–221 BCE), the area of Jinan was split between two states – the state of Lu in the west and the state of Qi in the east. In 685 BCE, the state of Qi started to build the Great Wall of Qi across Changqing county. Portions of the wall still remain today and are accessible as open air museums. Biǎn Què, according to the legend the earliest Chinese physician and active around 500 BCE, is said to have been a native of present-day Changqing County. Zou Yan (pinyin: Zōu Yǎn, 305 – 240 BCE), a native of Zhangqiu City, developed the concepts of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.
During the times of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), Jinan was the capital of the Kingdom of Jibei and evolved into the cultural and economic hub of the region. The Han Dynasty tomb where the last king of Jibei, Liú Kuān , was buried at Shuangru Mountain was excavated by archaeologists from Shandong University in 1995 and 1996. More than 2000 artifacts such as jade swords, jade masks, jade pillows have been recovered within the 1,500 square meter excavation site, emphasizing the wealth of the city during the period. Cáo Cāo was an official in Jinan before he became the de facto ruler of the Han Dynasty. His son overthrew the last emperor of the Han and founded the Wei Kingdom (220 – 265 CE) of the Three Kingdoms Period.
Beginning in the 5th century CE, Buddhism flourished in Jinan. The Langgong Temple in the southern county of Licheng was one of the most important temples
