河西地形狭长,气候环境独特,加上来自祁连山的丰沛水源,使得这条走廊既有利于原始农业的孕育,也便于牧业的发展。从考古资料看,河西地区的原始农业文明要早于牧业,牧业文明是由原始农业文明转化而来的。较早的马家窑文化、半山文化以农为主,兼事畜牧,至马厂文化、齐家文化时期开始由农向牧转化。延及四坝文化,已成为典型的牧业文化,以牧为主,兼营农业、狩猎业与采集业,形成多种产业并存的生业方式。后来,分布于河西走廊西部的骟马文化和河西东部的沙井文化,尽管都是外来的,并非土著,但都保持了与齐家文化、四坝文化相同的以牧为主的生业特点,均为定居的畜牧业而非通常所谓的游牧。这种状况的形成,乃受河西走廊自然条件的限制所致,同时也是与外界经济文化交流的结果。 The narrow terrain and unique climatic environment of the Hexi River combined with abundant water from the Qilian Mountains make this corridor not only beneficial to the breeding of primary agriculture but also to the development of animal husbandry. From the archaeological data, Hexi area primitive agricultural civilization earlier than animal husbandry, animal husbandry civilization is derived from the primitive agricultural civilization. The earlier Majiayao culture, the Mid-mountain culture mainly with agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperation, to the horse plant culture, Qi family culture began to transform from farming to animal husbandry. The extension of Siba Culture has become a typical animal husbandry culture. It is dominated by animal husbandry and is also engaged in agriculture, hunting and gathering industries, forming a multi-industry co-existence mode of employment. Later, the gens culture and the manhole culture in the west of Hexi Corridor, which were distributed in the western part of Hexi Corridor, maintained the characteristics of husbandry-dominated agriculture with Qijia culture and Siba culture, All are settled livestock husbandry instead of the usual so-called nomadic. The formation of this situation is due to the natural conditions of the Hexi Corridor due to restrictions, but also with the outside world economic and cultural exchange results.