(East-West Question) Wang Wei: How does archaeology prove the Chinese civilization for more than 5,000 years?
China News Agency, Beijing, February 18th, Question: Wang Wei: How does archaeology prove the Chinese civilization for more than 5,000 years?
China News Agency reporter Sun Zifa
In the history of human development, the long-standing and profound Chinese civilization in the east of the world has always attracted much attention, but the Western society has questioned the "five thousand years of Chinese civilization" for a long time.
Researcher Wang Wei, member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, chairman of the Chinese Archaeological Society, and chief expert of the Chinese Civilization Origin Project, recently accepted an exclusive interview with the "East and West Questions" column of China News Agency, explaining in detail how archaeology has demonstrated the Chinese civilization for more than 5,000 years.
He said that the century-old Chinese archaeology, especially the implementation of the project to explore the origin of Chinese civilization, has advanced the time of the emergence of Chinese civilization to more than 5,000 years ago, and demonstrated the "five thousand years of Chinese civilization" from a legend to a credible history.
At the same time, archaeological research also traces the process of the origin and development of Chinese civilization, which not only deeply reveals the rich connotation of Chinese civilization and the historical context of the origin and development of civilization in various regions of China, but also fully demonstrates the splendid achievements of Chinese civilization and its major contribution to world civilization. .
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Service reporter: The origin of human beings have long received attention. What achievements have been made in the archaeological research on the origin of human beings and the origin of Chinese culture in the land of China?
Wang Wei:
Archaeological discoveries and the latest dating data from the early Paleolithic period, such as Fanchang Renzidong in Anhui, Shangchen site in Lantian, Shaanxi, Maguangou site in Yangyuan, Hebei, and Yuanmou people site in Yunnan, show that the age of humans in China can be traced back. To 1.8 million to 2 million years ago, it was one of the important areas of the world's early ancient human activities.
The results of archaeological excavations at a number of sites dating back 60,000 to 30,000 years show that ancient humans lived in northern and southern China during this period, and their stone tool making techniques and living behaviors still followed the local ones formed during the Peking Man period. A cultural tradition dominated by stone flakes.
Physical anthropology studies have also found that more than 80% of modern humans in East Asia have shovel-shaped incisors, following the characteristics that have been formed in the era of Lantian and Beijing people.
This shows that although a small number of foreign people have entered the northwest region of China found in a few sites, there is no replacement of the original people and cultural traditions by new people in China. The ancient people represented by Yuanmou, Lantian and Beijing people are the ancestors of modern Chinese.
Over the past 100 years, Chinese archaeologists have excavated a large number of physical materials and research results to prove that the prehistoric cultures that appeared in China's Yellow River, Yangtze River and Liao River basins 10,000 years ago were all native to the region and had a clear development context.
China has mastered the technology of making pottery as early as 13,000 years ago. It began to cultivate rice, millet, and millet 10,000 years ago. 9,000 years ago, it mastered the technology of carving jade, appeared painted pottery and special symbols, domesticated pigs, invented wine, and the Yellow River. The painted pottery in the basin also appeared 7,000 years ago, earlier than the Eurasian continent, so that "Chinese prehistoric culture" is self-defeating.
In November 2020, in Sanmenxia City, Henan Province, an audience photographed typical unearthed painted pottery displayed by Yangshao Culture Museum.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Sun Zifa
China News Service reporter: How did the highly developed prehistoric culture in China gradually develop into a regional civilization with "starry sky"? And finally pluralism to form a Chinese civilization and a unified multi-ethnic country?
Wang Wei:
The research of the archaeological project implemented by the Chinese Civilization Origin Project shows that starting from 5500 years ago, there was a circle of communication and interaction between the upper and lower levels of society in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the Liaohe River Basin, forming a dragon totem. and ancestor worship, and a ritual system to show noble identity; around 5,000 years ago, early countries appeared in some areas with rapid cultural and social development, entering the stage of ancient civilization.
Around 4300 years ago, due to environmental and social changes, regional civilizations that were once prosperous in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the upper and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and the Liaohe River Basin decayed one after another, while the Central Plains region showed a trend of continuous development and rapid rise. , and widely absorbed the advanced cultural factors in the surrounding areas, thus promoting the formation of the historical pattern of Chinese civilization centered on the Central Plains, and the emergence of early states and entry into the civilized society of the state.
Archaeological research in the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties shows that after the establishment of the Xia Dynasty, a set of regulations was formed on the layout of the capital, the layout of the palace, the bronze ritual vessels, the jade ritual vessels and the pottery ritual vessels. From the Haidai area in the lower reaches of the Yellow River in the east, the Ganqing area in the upper reaches of the Yellow River in the west, the Hetao area in the middle reaches of the Yellow River in the north, the southern China area in the south, and even northern Vietnam, all unearthed jade ritual vessels created by the Central Plains dynasty have been unearthed. Dynasty-centered circle of Chinese cultural influence.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Zhou royal family declined, and the capitals and aristocratic tombs of the various vassal states reflected the transformation of the society at that time from the domination of the world by the Central Plains dynasties to the co-existence and competition with each other.
After Qin unified the six kingdoms, China entered the era of empires, and after many dynasties changed, it continued to promote the development of China into a unified multi-ethnic country.
In December 2021, Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River in Ji County, Shanxi Province.
(UAV photo) Photo by Lv Guiming issued by China News Agency
China News Service reporter: From the perspective of archaeology, what are the important characteristics of the Chinese civilization of more than 5,000 years? In the process of development, what kind of exchanges and mutual learning are there between Eastern and Western civilizations?
Wang Wei:
Through a hundred years of archaeology, we can see that Chinese civilization has at least three characteristics: First, it is continuous and sustainable development. Since 2 million years ago, human beings have continued to live on the land of China. From rice to the invention of millet and millet in the north, more than 5,000 years ago, all regions of China successively entered the ancient and state civilizations of the early civilization era, then entered the kingdom civilization of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, to the imperial civilization after the Qin and Han dynasties, and the Chinese civilization continued to develop continuously.
The second is to be open, inclusive and eclectic. In the process of the formation and development of the Chinese civilization, some advanced factors from other civilizations are continuously absorbed and learned, and innovative and integrated to form an important part of the Chinese civilization.
The third is the return of hundreds of rivers to the sea and the integration of diversity. In the prehistoric Chinese civilization, there were early regional civilizations in all regions. During the long development process, through continuous exchanges and integration between regions, the beliefs of dragon totem and ancestor worship were nurtured and formed by jade. From the beauty to the concept of jade as the most precious, and the social norms of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom and trustworthiness and other Chinese cultural genes, finally realize the return of hundreds of rivers to the sea and the integration of diversity, and build a historical pattern of Chinese civilization development centered on the Central Plains.
Rice in the Yangtze River Basin in August 2021.
Photo by China News Agency reporter He Penglei
Regarding cultural exchanges and mutual learning between the East and the West, the process of the origin and development of the Chinese civilization has been ongoing.
Archaeological research shows that the cultivation of rice, millet, and millet was the earliest in prehistoric China. Around 5,000 years ago, the cultivation techniques of these crops spread to the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, the Japanese archipelago, West Asia, Southeast Asia and other regions. The outstanding contributions made by the ancestors to human civilization.
About 5,000 years ago, after wheat, sheep and other animals and plants and metallurgy were introduced into China, ancestors made inventions and innovations on the basis of them, and the fusion became an important part of Chinese civilization.
After iron smelting was introduced to China more than 3,000 years ago, the technology has continued to make significant progress.
The Shu brocade embroidered with the Chinese characters "Five stars come out of the East to benefit China", as well as documents and relics in various languages, have been unearthed in archaeology, reflecting the close relationship between the countries along the Silk Road and the Han and Jin dynasties.
Glassware and gemstones from West Asia and Central Asia were unearthed in some Han Dynasty noble tombs, which is a portrayal of the opening of the Silk Road and the close communication between Chinese and Western cultures.
A series of archaeological studies on Chang'an City in Tang Dynasty found that the Tang Dynasty actively communicated with foreign countries through the Silk Road. People from all over the world became officials and did business in the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty absorbed advanced cultures from all over the country for my use, showing great cultural confidence, openness and tolerance.
Underwater archaeology such as the wreck of the Nanhai No. 1 ship shows that a large number of Chinese porcelains were shipped to Europe in the maritime Silk Road trade in the Song Dynasty.
The monasteries and cave temples all over the country, represented by the Baima Temple in Luoyang and the Dunhuang Grottoes, show that the Chinese nation is good at absorbing foreign cultures and realizing localization as quickly as possible, integrating them with Taoism and Confucianism from the local area. The inclusive ability to make it an integral part of Chinese culture.
In September 2021, the Confucius Grand Ceremony for Duke Xin Chou was held in Shaohai Confucius Square in Jiaozhou City, Shandong Province.
Photo by Wang Zhaomai issued by China News Agency
China News Service reporter: China's modern archaeology will celebrate its centenary in 2021, and 2022 will enter its second centenary. As the chairman of the Chinese Archaeological Society, what are your expectations for the future development of Chinese archaeology?
Wang Wei:
In the future, Chinese archaeology will develop in the direction of Chinese characteristics, Chinese style and Chinese style, and further accelerate the realization of scientific, international and popularization.
In terms of science, we should enhance the content of science and technology, and on the basis of adhering to field archaeology, strengthen the integration with natural sciences and deepen other humanities and social sciences, and carry out joint research.
In terms of internationalization, we should continue to promote international exchanges and cooperation in archaeology, especially intensifying efforts to "go global" in Chinese archaeology.
At present, the international cooperation of Chinese archaeology has completed the transformation from focusing on "inviting in" to focusing on "inviting in" and "going out" in the first 10 years of the 21st century, and then focusing on "going out" since 2013 .
After the "Belt and Road" initiative was launched, more and more Chinese archaeological teams went abroad to conduct cooperative archaeology and cultural heritage protection abroad.
From 2016 to 2019, a total of 32 Chinese archaeological teams went to 22 countries to implement 36 Sino-foreign cooperative archaeological investigation and excavation projects, covering Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
In May 2021, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, foreign teacher Fudier experienced a 5G VR project in Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Gang
In terms of popularization, it is necessary to display and disseminate Chinese archaeology in a more vivid and diverse form. It is recommended to use modern concepts and high-tech methods, including the use of 4D, 5D, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and other technologies to build themed archaeology Heritage parks or amusement parks, promote the popularization of archaeology through the combination of culture and tourism.
After a hundred years of development, the Chinese archaeological community has become more and more international in perspective, and its international influence and discourse power have been continuously enhanced.
It can be said that Chinese archaeology has entered its second century and ushered in a golden age of all-round development. It is progressing from a country with large archaeological resources to a country with strong archaeological research.
(over)
Interviewee Profile:
Wang Wei, member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, professor and doctoral supervisor.
The Twelfth and Thirteenth National People's Congress.
Chairman of the Chinese Archaeological Society, member of the 7th National Academic Degrees Committee and head of the Archaeological Discipline Evaluation Group, and head of the Archaeological Discipline Evaluation Group of the National Social Science Fund.
Corresponding academician of the German Institute of Archaeology, lifelong foreign academician of the American Institute of Archaeology.
The general director of the "Chinese Civilization Origin Project".
Editor-in-chief of "Chinese Dictionary of Archaeology" and the third edition of "Chinese Encyclopedia of Archaeology Volume".