[Explanation] Recently, the location of the site of Jixia Academy, the earliest institution of higher learning in China, has been basically determined, which has aroused widespread concern in the archaeological community.
A reporter from China News Agency visited the site group of buildings outside the west gate of Qigucheng Town located in Linzi District, Zibo City, Shandong Province.
According to archaeologists, after nearly five years of archaeological excavations, it can be basically determined that this is the site of Jixia Academy.
[Explanation] According to historical records, Jixia Academy was built in 374 BC during the Tianwu period of Duke Huan of Qi.
Jixia Academy is the first institution of higher learning in the world that is officially organized and privately hosted in a special form. , governance consulting and other institutions of various natures.
[Concurrent] Dong Wenbin, deputy research librarian of Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Jixia School Archaeological Project Team Leader
As for the discovery and confirmation of Jixia Academy, we also believe that this situation is unpredictable. This location is completely consistent with the records in the literature. At the lower part of this base site, we have judged some of the mid-Warring States period. The back pit, and some test samples, our so-called carbon 14 test method, found that this era also completely matches the founding date of Duke Huan of Tian Qi recorded in the literature, which is about 380 BC.
[Explanation] According to reports, the building base group is connected to the small town of Qi Gucheng in the east. It is wide in the south and narrow in the north and is slightly trapezoidal at right angles. It is about 210 meters from east to west and 190 meters long from north to south, with a total area of nearly 40,000 square meters. It has now been excavated. 2000 square meters, a total of four rows of building bases were found, similar in scale to a modern university.
The identification of the Jixia Academy is a major achievement in Shandong archaeology.
In this regard, the reporter interviewed Jiang Linchang, a professor at the School of History and Culture of Shandong University who had participated in the national "Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties Project" and "Chinese Ancient Civilization Origin Project".
[Concurrent] Professor, School of History and Culture, Shandong University, Jianglinchang
Jixia Academy is not just a problem like Jixia, it is a problem related to our entire Chinese national culture, because Jixia Academy was born in the middle and late Warring States period, when our Chinese culture reached its peak. Time, we call it China's "axis" era academically, or the era of Chinese classics, determines the character of our entire Chinese culture, the character of the nation, the connotation and characteristics of Chinese culture, and the highest level of Chinese culture. high.
I think they all have practical significance, and have academic cognitive value, historical cognitive value and the realistic value of today's cultural reconstruction.
[Explanation] After more than 2,000 years, Jixia Academy came from the dusty loess.
In the course of more than 150 years of history, Jixia Academy has always been the center of Chinese ideology and culture with far-reaching influence, and has written a profound stroke in the history of Chinese and even oriental culture.
Archaeology is a dialogue with the ancients. The reporter learned that the current excavation work is only the beginning of the archaeological project of Jixia Academy. It is expected that it will take some time to complete all the archaeological excavation work, and more in-depth exploration and excavation will be carried out next.
Reported by Wang Fengliang from Zibo, Shandong
Responsible editor: [Fang Jialiang]