Changchun is a place with rich soil. As early as 40 000 years ago，there was mankind living and multiplying here. In 1951，a group of mammal fossils (or fossils of human bones) were found in Yushu City of Changchun area. The excavation showed that human beings in ancient times had already entered the homo sapience stage here in Changchun and they belonged to the Late Old Stone Period and Early Maternal Clan Society. In 1984，a human inhabitancy site of the Neolithic Age was found in Nongan County which proved that the primitive agriculture had been already very developed，and people then had mastered primitive textile technology and entered the era of putting on clothing.

Changchun was first settled more than 1 000 years ago. But it did not develop much until the turn of the last century.