Chinese archaeologists actively participate in international archaeological cooperation
Promote exchanges of civilizations
Civilizations exchange due to diversity, mutual learning due to exchanges, and development due to mutual learning.
From deciphering the Mayan civilization, to studying the origin of human beings in Africa, to exploring the ancient Egyptian civilization... In recent years, with the deepening of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, Chinese archaeologists have actively participated in international archaeological exchanges and cooperation to jointly promote Chinese civilization and The world’s civilizations exchange and learn from each other, and each has its own beauty.
Copan Ruins——
"Feel the charm of different civilizations in exchanges and cooperation"
Under the scorching sun, a Chinese archaeological team is working in the jungle at the Copan site more than 200 kilometers north of Brazil, Tegucigal, the capital of Honduras.
With the deepening of the archaeological excavation process, precious cultural relics continue to be unearthed, and the mystery of the rise and fall of the ancient Mayan city of Copan has been revealed little by little.
Why do you want to come here all the way?
Li Xinwei, the leader of the archaeological team and an archaeologist from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, dug up a feather snake head from the soil and told reporters: "Chinese civilization and Mayan civilization are typical representatives of ancient civilizations in the world. They are both different and similar. Place. By appreciating the beauty of other civilizations, we can deeply perceive the unique splendor of our Chinese civilization."
In July 2015, Li Xinwei led the Chinese archaeological team to officially launch the archaeological and Mayan civilization research work at the Copan site.
Prior to this, the archaeology of the Maya civilization in Honduras has been dominated by experts from European and American countries.
As a "beginner" of Mayan civilization archaeology, Li Xinwei led the team to study a large number of Mayan archaeological results and actively conducted exchanges and learning with Honduras archaeologists.
The Chinese archaeological work at the Copan site is to excavate, rebuild and comprehensively study the noble courtyards numbered 8N-11.
Through a complete excavation of the entire courtyard, the archaeological team members have a clear understanding of the development and evolution of this noble family, and have formed systematic data.
"The new technologies such as 3D imaging and drone aerial photography brought by China have replaced our traditional method of making floor plans, ensuring the accuracy of archaeological information, and greatly improving work efficiency." Cecía, the project data manager of Copan, Honduras Say.
"Chinese experts have rich fieldwork experience and professionalism, and can flexibly use various research and technical methods to provide strong support for our archaeological work." Honduran archaeologist Jorge Ramos said: "Through the right In the study of Mayan civilization and Chinese civilization, we feel the charm of different civilizations in our exchanges and cooperation."
In Li Xinwei's view, there are many similarities between Mayan civilization and early Chinese civilization. Understanding the development of different civilizations can broaden your thinking and horizons for studying Chinese civilization.
"The image interpretation of Mayan sculptures, paintings, pottery and jade, as well as the study of Mayan religious concepts and Mayan society's functioning have also inspired Chinese archaeological research."
Next year, the Chinese archaeological team plans to start the second phase of the Copan site archaeological project.
"The large number of cultural relics excavated by the Chinese team is an important contribution to the study of Mayan civilization. They have very high cultural and archaeological value and are valued and praised by the American archaeological community." Ramos said that he believes that Chinese experts will contribute to the future of the Copan site. Archaeological research brings more help.
Jimen Cornerstone Site——
"The Chinese Archaeological Team has become an important force in the international archaeological community"
About 200,000 years ago, under the Makariya Falls in the Great Rift Valley region of East Africa, a small group of ancestors of modern people were looking for suitable stones in gravel piles.
They would make stone tools in the shade under the trees, hunting when they were hungry, drinking the water from the waterfall when they were thirsty... This scene was repeated in the mind of Li Zhanyang, a professor at the School of History and Culture of Shandong University.
As the leader of the China-Kenya Modern Human Origins Joint Archaeological Team, Li Zhanyang has been to Kenya three times with the Chinese team for archaeological excavations since 2017.
A large number of well-made hand axes have been found in many Paleolithic sites in Kenya.
As the main research area of "The Origin of Modern Man", a hot topic in the global archaeological community, archaeological teams from various countries come to Kenya during the excavation season each year.
"The Chinese archaeological team cannot be absent either." Li Zhanyang said that these Paleolithic stone products were mainly formed between 300,000 and 50,000 years ago, which are important for explaining how modern people went out of Africa and studying the development and evolution of human history. significance.
On October 3, 2017, on the third day after the Chinese archaeological team of modern human origins in Kenya arrived in Kenya, the archaeological team discovered a paleolithic site near the Makariya Falls.
In subsequent batches of archaeological work, a joint archaeological team composed of Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Shandong University, Luoyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and Kenya National Museum excavated more than 300 square meters of archaeological excavations at the Jimen Cornerstone Site in Kenya. There are more than 2,000 pieces of earth and stone products and animal fossils, and 27 Paleolithic sites have been discovered near the Jimen Keystone Site, covering the early, middle and late Paleolithic ages.
Through the study of unearthed cultural relics, the archaeological team inferred that the owner of the late Paleolithic culture may be the earliest modern man.
This inference supports the view that modern people walked out of Africa 70,000 to 50,000 years ago.
At the same time, through the systematic excavation and research of the superimposed strata of the Jimen Foundation Stone Site in various periods, especially the collection and sorting of the upper fine stone tools, the team members confirmed the propagation route of the fine stone culture.
"The cooperation with Chinese experts is very pleasant. The advanced technical experience they provide has greatly helped our archaeological research." said John, a Kenyan expert who participated in the work of the China-Kenya Joint Archaeological Team twice.
John is a senior expert in paleoanthropology, and the name of the site "Jimen Cornerstone" is derived from his Kenyan name.
In John's view, in recent years, China has made important contributions to the study of the origin of mankind.
"The work of the Chinese archaeological team is not only fully affirmed by Kenya, but its research results are also valued in the industry. The Chinese archaeological team has become an important force in the international archaeological community."
The ruins of Mengtu Temple——
"Let the two ancient civilizations of Egypt and China shine new light in joint research and protection"
Since 2018, the China-Egypt joint archaeological team composed of the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Egyptian Ministry of Cultural Relics has carried out archaeological and research work at the site of the Mengtu Temple in the northern ancient city of Luxor in southern Egypt (see picture, Sino-Egyptian joint Photo courtesy of the archaeological team), so that the scene of the temple and the unearthed cultural relics gradually appeared in front of the world.
"In the process of mutual learning with other ancient civilizations, I can deeply feel the commonalities and individualities between various civilizations." When talking about the significance of Chinese archaeology going out, the Chinese executive leader of the China-Egypt Joint Archaeology Project, Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Jia Xiaobing said.
In 2016, the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt, at the invitation of Cairo University, Wang Wei, then director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, led a delegation to Egypt.
During the visit, the then curator of the National Museum of Egypt, Waffa Sidik, said a sentence that made Wang Wei unforgettable: "Currently, none of the 206 international archaeological cooperation projects in Egypt involve China. We Looking forward to cooperating with China."
"If there is no clear understanding of the other party's historical civilization, the exchanges between Chinese and Egyptian civilizations and the exchanges between the two ancient civilizations will not be in-depth and effective." After returning to China, Wang Wei immediately launched a preliminary investigation on the Sino-Egyptian joint archaeology.
In October 2018, the two countries signed the "China-Egypt Joint Archaeological Project Agreement for Luxor Mengtu Temple", and the China-Egypt joint archaeological team was formally established.
In November of the same year, the first phase of the project started. This was the first time a Chinese archaeological team went to Egypt for archaeological excavations since the founding of New China.
The site of Mengtu Temple is more than 3,000 years old and is part of the famous Karnak Temple in Luxor.
In 1979, the Karnak Temple area was listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
Jia Xiaobing said that China and Egypt have a long history of civilization and a long and splendid history. The cultural heritage protection and archaeological work of the two countries are both similar and complementary. The two sides work together to help deepen the understanding of each other's civilizations.
Although only two excavation seasons have been carried out for archaeological work, significant results have been achieved. For example, the excavations in the small temple area of Osiris have supplemented new materials for the study of the worship of the god Osiris in ancient Egypt.
According to Mustafa Sakir, the Egyptian leader of the China-Egypt Joint Archaeology Project, the advanced technology and valuable experience brought by the Chinese team provide a strong guarantee for joint archaeology.
"The joint archaeology will last for five years. I look forward to the in-depth interaction between the two sides in five-year exchanges one after another, so that the two ancient civilizations of Egypt and China will shine in the joint research and protection.
(Mexico City, Johannesburg, Cairo, Beijing, June 13th)
Our reporter Liu Xuxia, Zou Songjingyue, Yu Yichun