Xinhua News Agency, Zhengzhou, October 17 -
Title: 100 years of arduous outline civilization context - The 100th Anniversary cum China Yangshao found that the birth of modern archeology
Xinhua News Agency reporters Wang Ding, Gui Juan, Shuang Rui, Yuan Yueming
On October 17, the commemoration of the discovery of Yangshao culture and the 100th anniversary of the birth of modern Chinese archaeology was held in Sanmenxia City, Henan Province.
Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission sent a congratulatory letter to the conference, which made archaeologists excited.
100 years ago, in this late autumn, the Yangshao Village site in Mianchi County, Sanmenxia City ushered in the first shovel of scientific excavation.
The beautiful, simple, and colorful painted pottery emerged from the ground, and a brilliant picture of prehistoric civilization from 5000 to 7000 years ago was gradually laid out in front of the world, and modern Chinese archaeology also began.
Yangshao Cultural Museum in Mianchi County, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province (taken on July 15, 2020, drone photo).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An
After several generations of archaeologists, important cultural relics of different periods have been discovered and excavated.
From Yangshao Culture and Hongshan Culture to Liangzhu Culture and Longshan Culture, from Gongyi Shuanghuaishu, Yanshi Erlitou to Anyang Yinxu, Guanghan Sanxingdui... the historical axis of Chinese civilization has been continuously elongated, and historical credibility has been continuously enhanced. Civilization details are constantly being enriched.
Scientific archaeological excavations have profoundly changed the people's cognition of ancestors and history, and also systematically and completely revealed the long-standing and splendid Chinese civilization to the world.
After a century of history, today archaeology has increasingly attracted the attention of all walks of life, especially young people. Every major discovery becomes a hot spot on the Internet, constantly inspiring national cohesion and pride.
Su Hua: Looking for the traces of the lost civilization
Yangshao Village is located on a loess plateau on the south bank of the Yellow River.
There is still an old cave dwelling in the small courtyard of Wang Erbao, an 80-year-old villager.
One hundred years ago, the Chinese government's mining policy adviser, the researcher of the Geological Survey of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, and the Swedish geologist Anderson lived here during his inspection. Wang Erbao's father was one of Anderson's assistants.
An Tesheng (second from left) took a photo during his first excavation in Yangshao Village (data photo).
Issued by Xinhua News Agency (provided by the Propaganda Department of Sanmenxia Municipal Party Committee)
In October 1921, the autumn breeze was slightly cool.
With the permission of the Chinese government, Chinese scholars such as Andersen and Yuan Fuli came to Yangshao Village for 36 days of formal archeological excavations. A total of 17 excavations were excavated, and a large number of exquisite pottery, stone tools, bones and mussels were unearthed. Precious relics such as utensils.
Before this, An Tesheng had been to Yangshao Village.
"In April 1921, An Tesheng discovered the coexisting strata of stone tools and faience on the cliff section of the gully in the south of the village," said Li Xinwei, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "He was keenly aware that this was nothing. Under the strange western Henan village, there is likely to be an important cultural relic from ancient China."
After half a year of excavation, a new type of prehistoric culture was discovered and named after "Yangshao".
The "Yangshao Culture" was not only the first prehistoric culture in China to be recognized through archaeological discoveries, but also filled the gap in the recognition that China did not have a Neolithic age at that time.
Scholars generally believe that this is the beginning of modern Chinese archaeology.
On the reddish-brown pottery pieces, the unpredictable patterns fascinated Anderson, but he wrongly judged that the Yangshao culture represented by painted pottery might not have a local origin, but was introduced from Central Asia.
At that time, the New Culture Movement was on the rise. Under the impact of the trend of ideological emancipation that advocated democracy and science, the historian set off a "skepticism trend of ancient history" represented by the ancient history discerning school, and foreign scholars generally agreed with the "Chinese culture from the west". , And won the support of many local scholars.
Where does Chinese culture come from?
"'Chinese Culture from the West' deeply hurt many Chinese scholars at the time, and it also inspired their enthusiasm to reconstruct ancient history through archaeological materials." said Chen Xingcan, member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. , "What kind of humanistic and political landscapes existed in ancient China, and when can the source of Chinese culture be traced back? It has become a problem that Chinese people are eagerly looking forward to solving."
The first excavation of Yin Ruins, Dong Zuobin (right) participated in surveying and mapping (data photo).
Published by Xinhua News Agency (Provided by Yinxu Museum of Anyang City)
With the mission of seeking roots and asking ancestors, and making up the history, the first generation of Chinese archaeologists Li Ji, Dong Zuobin, and Liang Siyong went to many places to "go up to the poor and fall down to the yellow spring, and use their hands to find things", successively excavated Shanxi Xia The ruins of Xiyin Village in the county, the Yinxu ruins in Anyang, Henan, and the Ziya ruins in Zhangqiu, Shandong.
"A century of archaeology has discovered a series of important sites from the Paleolithic to the Bronze Age, established the archeological stage ruler, clarified the development pedigree, and proved that the development of Chinese culture from ancient times to the present is continuous and uninterrupted." Xia Shangzhou Li Boqian, chief scientist of Dating Engineering and a professor at the School of Archaeology, Beijing University, said, "Based on archaeological discoveries, and by integrating archaeological and documentary materials, the Chinese archaeological community has proposed a more credible basic framework for Chinese ancient history with sufficient basis."
Today, the fourth excavation of the Yangshao Village site is proceeding in an orderly manner. Relying on more and more abundant archaeological materials, the picture of the social life of the ancient ancestors has been continuously restored.
Quest: the ever-extending historical axis
"The discovery of the Yangshao Village site has pushed the history of Chinese prehistoric social development from the Xia and Shang period recorded in the literature for at least 2000 years, and has become an important fulcrum for studying the process of China's early civilization." Chen Xingcan said.
After a hundred years of continuous exploration, the face of Yangshao culture has gradually become clear.
As the most widely distributed archeological culture in China, the Yangshao culture involves 10 provinces and regions and lasts for more than two thousand years.
Some scholars believe that the continuous and stable development of Yangshao Culture in the Yellow River Basin and its strong cultural influence on the Quartet provided an important foundation for the later establishment of a unified civilization, forming an "early Chinese cultural circle" or "early China" in a cultural sense.
"Repair the history of the country and write a continuation." From Li Ji, Liang Siyong to Xia Nai and Su Bingqi, generations of archaeologists have inherited their original aspirations and made a blue line. Through the discovery and excavation of one by one major cultural relics, the historical axis of Chinese civilization has continued to extend.
Where did we come from?
The "Beijing people" at the Zhoukoudian site are not only rare historical evidence of human society in the Asian continent in ancient times, but also illuminate the process of human evolution.
Where is the capital in the Huangdi era?
The discovery of the Shuanghuaishu site in Zhengzhou made the "Heluo Ancient Country" about 5,300 years ago lifted its head and filled the key material for the key period and key area of the origin of Chinese civilization.
Erlitou Archaeological Site Park (taken on October 16, 2019, drone photo).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An
Is the Xia Dynasty a legend or a real existence?
The excavation of the Erlitou site in Yanshi outlines the glorious atmosphere of "China's No. 1 King Capital", where the Huaxia nation completes the transformation from pluralism to one unity, and "the earliest China" starts from this.
What is the childhood of Chinese characters?
The large number of carved oracle bones in the Yin Ruins of Anyang brought forward the history of Chinese verifiable letters to more than 3,300 years ago, when the Shang Dynasty ushered in the secret moment.
Through archaeological excavations, China’s "million years of human history, 10,000 years of cultural history, and 5,000 years of civilization history" have been empirically demonstrated. The brilliant achievements of Chinese civilization and its contributions to the progress of human civilization have been continuously revealed, enriched and enriched. Deepen our understanding of ancestors and history.
The chimes unearthed from the tomb of Zenghou Yi in Hubei, with the grand and majestic "Quhang" structure, the wonderful structure of "one bell and two tones", and the rich and vivid wrong gold inscriptions have triggered people's long-distance thinking about the ritual and music culture in the pre-Qin era.
The pottery figurines unearthed in Pit No. 1 of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum of Lintong, Shaanxi Province (photographed on May 28, 2007).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Song
The excavation of the pit of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin in Shaanxi has allowed the "powerful Qin army to reappear like a crossbow and festivals", providing valuable material materials for the study of Qin history, military system, culture and art, and highlighting Chinese history The magnificent atmosphere of the first unified dynasty.
In the Han tomb of Mawangdui in Changsha, the "Mrs. Xin Chai" has not been corrupted for thousands of years. The silk meditation, T-shaped silk paintings, moiré lacquer Francium, and Chinese medicine silk books...all present the "exquisite life" of the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago.
Staff working at the site of the fourth archaeological excavation at the Yangshao Village site (photographed on October 15).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yanan
A pot, a jar, a makeup, and a silk book, with only one object, can turn the dense lead in the history book into a perceivable existence, telling the true details behind those grand narratives.
"Discovering and constructing the historical context of the origin and development of Chinese civilization is the fundamental task of Chinese archaeologists." said Wang Wei, member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and chairman of the Chinese Society of Archaeology. "To feel, interpret and promote the brilliant Chinese civilization, It is not only the mission of Chinese archaeologists, but also our honor."
Advance: Chinese Archaeology in Prosperity
In mid-air, the humming drone continued to hover and shoot; on the ground, the robotic arm of the 3D laser scanning device flew up and down; outside the exploratory area, a brand-new archaeological greenhouse emerged from the ground, even with its own monitoring and early warning system; In the laboratory, the application of technology such as carbon fourteen dating and DNA analysis is even more dizzying... Back then, it was difficult for the predecessors of archaeology who rode donkeys and shovel hands to imagine that Chinese field archaeology would become so full of technology. feel.
"Although Mr. Xia Nai has introduced carbon fourteen technology into the archaeological and cultural world as early as the 1960s, multidisciplinary research and application of high-tech methods have become the norm, thanks to the guidance and demonstration of two national projects. "Li Boqian said.
In 1996, the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties Project was officially launched, which was China's first multidisciplinary research project to jointly tackle archaeological topics.
Five years later, the Chinese Civilization Discovery Project was launched, which involved more disciplines and applied more modern science and technology.
Today, scientific and technological archaeology has reached an unprecedented breadth and depth, and fruitful results have been achieved in high-precision dating, human bone research, material property analysis, isotope analysis, and remote sensing monitoring.
Located in Yangshao Village National Archaeological Site Park in Mianchi County, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province (taken on October 15th, drone photo).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An
For 100 years, modern Chinese archaeology started ignorantly, explored hard, and always forged ahead.
Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Central Committee of the Party has placed the protection and utilization of historical and cultural heritage on a more prominent position, and modern Chinese archaeology has ushered in a golden age of vigorous development.
The work system is becoming more and more perfect, the professional team continues to grow, and the scale of work continues to expand. A series of major archaeological achievements have been revealed.
At the same time, once unpopular disciplines are becoming "hot" and become "obvious studies". "Bring your own traffic" continues to arouse public attention: topics such as Liangzhu heritage, Sanxingdui new topics are frequently searched, "archaeological blind box" and other cultural creations The supply of products exceeds supply, and many national archaeological site parks and museums have become the places for Internet celebrities to check in... Silent historical and cultural relics are talking to the public across time and space in a vivid and vivid way.
"The fruitful results of a century of archaeology have consolidated the foundation of national cultural self-confidence." said Tian Kai, director of the Henan Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics. "If you look closely at the journey of Chinese civilization, you will naturally have cultural self-knowledge, cultural pride, and cultural self-confidence. "
Facing the world, Chinese archaeologists continue to accelerate the pace of "going out", moving from the edge of international archaeology to the center of the world stage step by step.
Under the guidance of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, China has sent more than 30 archaeological teams to foreign countries to carry out cooperative archaeological projects, covering more than 20 countries and regions around the world, and has established long-term cooperative relations with many foreign scientific research institutions and museums.
"Archaeology's'going out' has promoted the exchanges between Chinese archaeologists and scholars from various countries. The international academic discourse power and influence of Chinese archaeology has been continuously improved, and Chinese archaeologists have made contributions to the practice of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. "Wang Wei said.
Pottery bowls on display at Yangshao Culture Museum, Mianchi County, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province (photographed on October 15).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yanan
History and civilization are the roots and veins of a country and nation.
It is archaeology that is retrieving the pieces of "puzzles" related to historical heritage and civilization roots for us.
"Facing the future, Chinese archaeologists will continue to carry forward the academic tradition of'discussing history and seeing people through objects', and take the construction of archaeology with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style and Chinese style as their mission, and promote our country from'archaeological power' to' An archaeological power' step forward." Chen Xingcan said.
Visitors photographed relief sculptures in the Yangshao Cultural Museum (photographed on October 15).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An
Visitors watch the exhibits in the Yangshao Cultural Museum (photographed on October 15).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An
The Former Residence of An Tesheng in Yangshao Village, Mianchi County, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province (taken on October 15th, drone photo).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An
Shuanghuaishu Ruins (taken on August 27, 2019, UAV photo).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An
Erlitou Xiadu Site Museum (taken on October 19, 2019, drone photo).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An
Tourists watch the Bu Jia on display at the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, Henan (photographed on October 12, 2018).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An
Tourists visit the carriage and horse pit in the ruins of the Yinxu Palace Ancestral Temple in Anyang, Henan (photographed on October 14, 2018).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li An