Zhang Yun: How does Tibetan archaeology prove the pattern of "diversity and integration" of the Chinese nation?

Beijing, 5 May (ZXS) -- How does Tibet archaeology empirically prove the pattern of "pluralism and integration" of the Chinese nation?

The author: Zhang Yun is a second-level researcher at the China Tibetology Research Center

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the archaeological undertaking of cultural relics in Tibet has emerged from scratch, from small to large, and has influenced the domestic academic community and attracted the attention of the international academic community. Over the past 70 years, from natural field discoveries to scientific underground excavations, from foreigners to Chinese mastery, from amateur scattered investigations to systematic excavations by professionals, Tibetan archaeology has gone through a glorious course of continuous miracles.

The development of the discipline of Tibetan archaeology

Before 1950, the archaeological work in Tibet was basically controlled by Western scholars, and mainly some scattered ground cultural relics survey work done by lay missionaries, traders, travelers, "explorers", etc., only the Italian scholar G. Tucci and the Russian Nicholas Roerich and other archaeological investigations and research deserve attention.

In Zada County, Ali Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, the "History and Impact of Human Activities" detachment of China's Second Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Comprehensive Scientific Expedition (Qinghai-Tibet Scientific Expedition) carried out a comprehensive scientific investigation at the Gebu Seru site at an altitude of about 2022,3900 meters. Photo by Sun Zifa

After the peaceful liberation in 1951, Tibet's archaeology ushered in a new era of development. In 1956, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Comprehensive Scientific Expedition of the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered for the first time a number of archaeological relics and remains that may belong to the Stone Age in Nagqu, Dingri, Nyingchi, Meto and other places in Tibet, and Tibetan archaeology was officially unveiled. In February 1961, Tibetan cultural relics archaeologists discovered and cleaned up eight ancient tombs in the northeast of Lhasa's Pengbo (Lin Zhou) Farm, opening the prelude to the scientific archaeological excavation in Tibet. The Qamdo Karo site, discovered by workers of Qamdo Cement Plant in 2, first excavated in the summer of 8 and excavated for the second time from May to August 1977, filled the gap of Chinese field archaeology in Tibet and became a landmark event in scientific field archaeology on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

A double-body clay pot excavated from the site of Chamdo Karo. Photo courtesy of interviewee

Up to now, Tibet has investigated and registered 4468,2373 cultural relics sites of various types, and 70,603 cultural relics protection units at all levels, including 1700 at the national level, 51 at the autonomous region level, and 1991,2014 at the city and county level. There are 2020,<> movable cultural relics. The discovery of a series of prehistoric stone tool sites, burial sites, rock paintings, grottoes, rock paintings, grottoes, rock paintings and other cultural relics marked by the Karo site, Qugong cultural site, Jiamu cemetery and Quta cemetery, Zada Sangdarongguo cemetery, Guge cave group, Piyang Dongga site, and Qiongjie Zang Mausoleum have made the context of the history of early civilization in Tibet more and more clear. Among them, the Qugong Cultural Site in Lhasa, the Jiamu Cemetery and Qutai Cemetery in Aliguru, and the Zhadasangdarongguo Cemetery were selected as the top ten archaeological discoveries in China in <>, <> and <> respectively, and Tibetan archaeology provided strong scientific support for exploring the early regional characteristics of Chinese civilization.

Mural painting at the site of Gorakang in Shannan City, Tibet Autonomous Region. Photo by Jia Yingjie

Tibetan archaeology from a spatial scale

Cultural relics obtained through archaeological excavations in Tibet have blossomed everywhere, and Neolithic archaeological achievements have been more fruitful, and Neolithic cultural sites have been found in Lhasa, Shigatse, Qamdo, Nyingchi, Shannan, Nagqu and Ali areas.

Archaeologists believe that there were at least three primitive groups of primitive inhabitants with different cultural appearances in the Neolithic period of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, namely: the culture of the eastern Tibetan valley represented by the Karo site, and the Karuo population group engaged in sedentary farming economy and hunting and animal husbandry economy; the culture of the middle and lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River represented by the Qugong site, and the Qugong resident group mainly engaged in sedentary farming and fishing economy; The fine stone tool culture of northern Tibet characterized by small stone tools, and the nomadic population group of northern Tibet engaged in nomadic and hunting economy.

Stone tools from archaeological excavations in Tibet. Photo courtesy of interviewee

These three cultures have their own styles, but also have a certain degree of exchange and integration, and archaeological results in Tibet show that between large and small regions, there are both individual characteristics and intricate internal connections, and they all maintain a deep relationship with the Stone Age culture in the interior of the motherland. The Qiang system culture in the upper reaches of the Yellow River and the nomadic culture of the northern grasslands have all converged on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, especially in Tibet, from different directions, and have integrated with the local indigenous culture to form the background of Tibet's ancient civilization.

Among the four important archaeological discoveries in the Tibet Autonomous Region reported on January 2022, 1 by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage "Archaeological China" Major Progress Work Conference, including the Dangxiong Cemetery in Dangxiong County, Lhasa. This cemetery of the Tubo period, which contains not only pottery fragments of "ochre" figures from the Tubo period, but also duckbill flow single-eared flat-bottomed jars with Tubo cultural characteristics, but also unearthed more than 13 stone black and white chess pieces, lions and bird-patterned gold-eared spoons, patent leather fragments, textiles, etc. with Tang style and Tang Yun, which is an important material evidence of the exchanges, exchanges and blending of various ethnic groups, and a concrete reflection of the evolution of the pluralistic and integrated pattern of the Chinese nation.

In Dangquka Town, Dangxiong County, Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, a lion-patterned gold-eared spoon unearthed from the Dangxiong cemetery. Photo courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage

Tibetan archaeology in terms of time scale

The various cultural relics found in Tibet, including representative precious cultural relics of various historical periods, have a long time span and gradually form a clear development context.

In 2016, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Tibet Institute of Cultural Relics Protection cooperated to excavate stone flakes, stone leaves, scrapers, pointed tools, carvers, etc. at the Nia Mudi site in Tibet, with stone leaf processing technology as the main feature, dating at least about 3,3 years ago, proving that human beings have climbed the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the last ice period with a relatively warm and humid climate 4,<> to <>,<> years ago.

The first batch of systematically excavated prehistoric wilderness sites in western Tibet, the Chere site, is a rare site of prehistoric early human activities with clear stratigraphic accumulation in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, filling the gap of prehistoric archaeological culture from 8000,10000 to 8500,7500 years ago in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The site of Shadaco belongs to the early Neolithic period between <> and <> years ago.

Ritu County, Ali Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, beautiful scenery of Xiadaguo. Photo by Sun Zifa

Archaeology in Tibet, especially archaeological excavations in the past 40 years, has filled many time gaps in the history of early civilization. The discovery of Paleolithic sites, such as Zhuluola and Duogeze in Shenzha in northern Tibet, Jituan on the southeast bank of Bangor Serinco in northern Tibet, Zabu and Shadaqao on the northeast bank of Ritu in western Tibet, and Hadong and Chodezuo in Jilong, southern Tibet, show that the natural conditions of the Pleistocene are far superior to today, and more suitable for the survival of ancient humans. Among the Paleolithic tools found in the Shenzha area of northern Tibet, there is an oval-shaped long scraper, a long round-headed scraper, and a pointed tool, all of which are also found in Paleolithic sites such as Hutouliang in Yangyuan, Hebei, Shuichuan, Shanxi, and Shuidonggou in Ningxia. Both are thought to belong to essentially the same system as the Paleolithic tools found in the Yellow River Basin.

Tibetan archaeology from the type of cultural relics

The house buildings found at the Karo site include both wooden grass and mud wall buildings, semi-crypt-style pebble wall buildings, stone paving, stone wall buildings, cellars, etc., and a large number of millet and grain ash were also unearthed at the Karo site, indicating that as early as more than 4000,7978 years ago, there was a primitive plantation in eastern Tibet. Tens of thousands of cultural relics have been unearthed at the Karo site, including 368,200 stone tools, 50 bone tools, more than <> pottery pieces, and <> ornaments.

A one-eared clay pot excavated from a tomb on Mount Nairo in Jiangda County, Qamdo, Tibet. Photo by Chen Zujun

Archaeologists believe that the Karuo culture is closely related to the discovery of some sites in the loess accumulation in the Yalong River basin and the Dadu River basin in the east, as well as the existence of cultural sites such as Majiayao and Banshan Horse Factory in Gansu and Qinghai in the north.

In terms of stone tools, disc-shaped smashing tools from the Karuo site can be found in Sibatan in Gansu, Yongjing Dahezhuang and Jiuquan Xiahe Qingmachang-type sites. Cutters can be found in the Luohan Hall, Qijiaping and other Majiayao cultural sites near Lanzhou. Fine stone tools and milled stone tools are also found in Neolithic cultural sites in the upper reaches of the Yellow River.

As for the round and square semi-crypt houses, treated red-boiled clay walls and living surfaces of the early Karo culture, they belong to the Majiayao cultural traditions and living forms in Gansu, Qinghai and other places. The corn found at the Karo site is a traditional crop in the Yellow River Basin, which is drought-tolerant and less cultivated in the south. The corn unearthed at the Karo site is likely to come from the spread of Majiayao culture.

Tourists visit the ruins of Majiayao in Lintao City, Dingxi City, Gansu Province. Photo by Zhang Yu

The ancient culture represented by the Xiaoenda sarcophagus tomb in Qamdo is also related to the Qi family culture in the northwest, and is also related to the sarcophagus burial culture found in Tibet and western Sichuan, northwestern Yunnan, Qinghai and other places.

A bronze scythe unearthed at the Qugong cultural site in Lhasa indicates that around 4000,<> years ago, the ancestors of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau had begun to enter the Bronze Age. Located in the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra River, the Qugong Cultural Site is a highly developed prehistoric culture of the late Neolithic period in Tibet. The villagers of Qugong live an economic life based on farming, supplemented by animal husbandry. The Qugong culture is considered to be an indigenous culture with less external influence, but it still has some connection with the Qi family culture.

Tibet Ali is like a bronze artifact unearthed from a Jiaomu cemetery. Photo courtesy of interviewee

Look at Tibetan archaeology from the perspective of exchanges, exchanges and blending

Archaeologists have found that fine stone tools in southern Tibet are closer to the stone tool traditions in southern China, especially in Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and other places since the late Paleolithic period. Experts believe that Tibet's fine stone tools are more likely to come from the interior, both from the northern grasslands through the half-moon cultural belt into the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and through the Hengduan Mountains along the major rivers into Tibet.

The archaeological achievements of Tibet also show the continuous exchanges between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the mainland of the motherland and even the outside world. The Changguogou site in Shannan City has found not only barley, wheat, peas and other crops and cash crops that are believed to come from the West, but also plant remains such as millet from the Yellow River Basin. In a batch of stone chamber tombs from the Spring and Autumn period excavated, an iron-handled copper mirror was also unearthed, which is thought to have probably come from Central or South Asia.

In the Ali region of Tibet, silk fabrics, gold masks, bronze, iron, wood and a large number of funerary animal bones were found in the Jiaomu tombs, dating from about the 2nd century to the first half of the 3rd century AD during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Among them, the bird and animal pattern brocade with the Chinese inscription "prince" is the first silk fabric found in the archaeology of Tibet, and it is also the earliest silk object found on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Brocade of Chinese characters of Wang Hou unearthed in the Ali region of Tibet. Photo courtesy of interviewee

The Qutu cemetery, which is close to its age, dating back to about 1800, is accompanied by box-type wooden coffins, gold masks, silk fabrics, pottery, bronze, ironware, wooden tools and material beads. Among them, the Chinese character "Wanghou" Chinese brocade reflects the similarity of silk fabrics in the same period as Xinjiang, indicating that the two may be intrinsically related, while the Chinese character of brocade indicates that its place of manufacture or origin can only be the Central Plains.

The "Great Tang Tianzhu Envoy Inscription" found in Jilong is the earliest Tang Dynasty Han inscription found in Tibet so far, and it is a precious historical material for Wang Xuance, the Tang imperial envoy Wang Xuance, who was ordered to send an envoy to Tianzhu during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and opened up the Tubo-Nebra Road in the Jilong River Valley to reach South Asia. Among the more than 170 cultural relics excavated in the Tubo period in the collection of the Shannan City Museum, in addition to cultural relics reflecting the characteristics of China's local culture, especially artifacts with the characteristics of Tibet, there are also collections of Greek-style Dionysian silver plates and 20 Sassanid silver coins, which are the reflection of Sino-foreign cultural exchanges in local archaeology and cultural relics in Tibet.

Visitors view faience artifacts at the Shannan City Museum in Tibet. Photo by Zhang Wei

The archaeological achievements of Tibet reveal the background of Chinese culture in Tibet's ancient civilization, the ethnic characteristics of plateau culture, and the deep, broad and lasting exchanges, exchanges and blending laws among various ethnic groups in China, and empirically prove the scientific thesis of the pluralistic and integrated pattern of the Chinese nation from the perspective of one region and one discipline. (End)

About the author:

Zhang Yun, second-level researcher at the China Center for Tibetology

Zhang Yun, former director and researcher of the Institute of History of the China Center for Tibetology, member of the Academic Committee, national candidate of the "Millions of Talents Project in the New Century", enjoys the special government allowance of the State Council, won the National May Day Labor Medal, is a director of the China Association for the Protection and Development of Tibetan Culture, and a standing director of the Fifth National Council of the Chinese Rights Research Association. He is the executive editor-in-chief of the multi-volume "General History of Tibet", and is the author of more than 10 titles, including "Research on the Local Administrative System of Tubo in the Yuan Dynasty", "Tubo Silk Road", "Ancient Tibet and Persian Civilization", etc., and has co-authored more than 10 titles, and won the "China Publishing Government Award" and the Special Award of the Everest Award for Chinese Tibetology Research.