China News Network Shuangya Mountain, May 13 Electric title: Heilongjiang Raohe Xiaonanshan Ruins: Opening a New Era of Chinese Jade Origins
Author Yang Jun Jiang Hui
The highest award in the Chinese archaeological community-"The Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in China" was recently announced. The site of Xiaonanshan Raohe in Shuangyashan City, Heilongjiang Province was successfully selected. This is another major national archaeological discovery after the excavation of ancient ruins in the Han and Wei Dynasties in the Shuangyashan area, known as the birthplace of the Chinese Lou culture. Not only the earliest pottery in northern China has been found in the Xiaonanshan ruins, but also the earliest and largest batch of jade in the world, subverting the academic circles ’previous understanding of many aspects of the Neolithic Age, especially the jade, and enhancing China ’s The right to speak on the international archaeological stage has great international significance.
Chen Xingcan, director of the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, interpreted that the remains of the 5th period from the late Paleolithic period to the Han Dynasty were found in the Xiaonanshan site of Raohe, which filled the gap in the regional chronological cultural sequence. In the first phase, the earliest pottery in northern China was discovered, about 14000 years ago, which was related to the discovery of early pottery in Russia and Japan. In the second phase, more than 50 early stone pit tombs in the Neolithic period were discovered, and nearly 200 pieces of jade were found. This is the earliest jade article, pushing the discovery of jade articles to about 9000 years ago. Judging from the jade craftsmanship, it can be seen that it is related to Xinglongwa culture and Hongshan culture, which has opened a new era for the origin of Chinese jade.
Cultural relics excavated from the Xiaonanshan site in Raohe. Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of Shuangyashan Municipal Committee
The Xiaonanshan site is located on an isolated saddle-shaped hill on the left bank of the Wusuli River in Raohe County, Shuangyashan City, Heilongjiang Province. It is currently the most important multi-period ancient ruin found in the Wusuli River Basin. The Xiaonanshan ruins were discovered in the 1950s, and a total of 5 archaeological investigations and excavations were carried out to varying degrees. They have successively discovered Neolithic sites, settlements in the Bronze Age, tombs in the early and late Neolithic eras, cemeteries in the early Neolithic era, etc. Remains, spanning more than 15,000 years. In 2019, the Xiaonanshan site was identified as the eighth batch of key cultural relics protection units in China.
It is no exaggeration to use jade to describe jade ware unearthed in Xiaonanshan. Excavated from the Xiaonanshan site, there are more than 200 pieces of jade such as jade jade, rings, tubes, beads, flat beads, jade pendants, jade pendants and jade axe, which have been scientifically tested as jade articles 9000 years ago, and thus constitute the so far known The earliest combination of jade culture in China, especially the relics, jade tubes, jade ornaments and other cultural relics, will have a huge impact on the subsequent study of East Asian jade culture.
Archaeologists took a group photo at the Ruanhe Xiaonanshan site. Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of Shuangyashan Municipal Committee
"Archaeological conclusions, the types and production techniques of jade jade represented by jade Qiu began to spread from Xiaonanshan to various parts of Northeast Asia around 8000, and started the history of the prehistoric jade revolution. These jade are often seen with the bending of sand rope cutting technology. Strip marks, this is the earliest discovery in the world at present, more than 6000 years earlier than similar technologies in Central America. " Li Youqian, a researcher at the Heilongjiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the person in charge of the archaeological project at the Xiaonanshan site, said that not only the earliest pottery in northern China has been found in the Xiaonanshan site, but also the earliest and largest batch of jade in the world, subverting the academic world The previous understanding of various aspects of the Neolithic Age, especially the jade, has enhanced China's right to speak on the international archaeological stage, and has great international significance.
The archaeological discovery of the Xiaonanshan site has subverted people ’s perception of “an ancient wilderness and no human beings”. The Wusuli River Basin had human reproduction and spreading the fire of civilization as early as 17,000 years ago; it subverted the academic community ’s jade in the Wusuli River Basin The culture is inferred by the influence of the jade culture in the Liaohe river basin and the jade culture in the Qiantang river basin. The archaeological findings support the Xiaonanshan culture more than 9,000 years ago that profoundly influenced the Hongshan culture, Liangzhu culture and even the jade culture in Northeast Asia.
Jade is the essence of the material and spiritual culture created by the ancestors of the Wusuli River Valley. The large number, high quality and early origin of jade in Xiaonanshan Culture fully illustrate the handicraft industry, material production level and society here more than 9000 years ago The shape has reached a high level, as the archaeologist Professor Lin Xuan believes that here shines "the splendid light of Chinese jade culture." (End)