Editor's note:
The Jade Rabbit bids farewell to the old year, and the Golden Dragon welcomes the New Year. Among the twelve Chinese zodiac signs, the dragon is the only fictitious mythical animal; in traditional Chinese culture, the dragon is a symbol with unique meanings.
The Year of the Dragon is approaching. China News Service's "East-West Question" has launched a series of "Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon" planning series since February 6. From the origin of the dragon in Hongshan culture to the evolution of the dragon in the Dunhuang Grottoes, from more than a hundred years Explore the cultural flavor behind the Spring Festival in the Year of the Dragon from how foreigners celebrated the Spring Festival in the past to why Chinese people at home and abroad are called "descendants of the dragon." Please stay tuned.
China News Service, Shenyang, February 11th: Why is it said that the Jade Pig Dragon embodies the Chinese "rituals" come from Hongshan?
——Exclusive interview with Jia Xiaobing, director of the World Archeology Research Office of the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Author Li Han
In Chinese culture, the dragon has a very high status and can be called the spiritual totem and unique cultural symbol of the Chinese nation. No one has ever seen a dragon, but almost every Chinese can picture its appearance in their mind: head like a camel, horns like a deer, eyes like a rabbit, ears like a cow, neck like a snake, belly like a mirage, scales like The carp has talons like an eagle and palms like a tiger.
Hongshan "Jade Age" comes standard with jade pig dragon. The discovery of the Jade Pig Dragon basically established the standard shape of dragon images for later generations. How can a small jade object that looks neither like a pig nor a dragon find the basis for "descendants of the dragon"? Why is it said that the Jade Pig Dragon embodies Chinese "rituals" comes from Hongshan?
Recently, Jia Xiaobing, the person in charge of the "Research on the Civilization Process of Hongshan Society", a major archaeological project in China under the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the director of the World Archeology Research Office of the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" to explain this.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
Reporter from China News Service: Hongshan’s “Jade Era” comes standard with jade pig dragons. What is Hongshan Culture? What exactly is the Jade Pig Dragon? Why is it said that the Jade Pig Dragon embodies Chinese "rituals" comes from Hongshan?
Jia Xiaobing:
The Hongshan Culture is the most glorious archaeological culture in northern China during the late Neolithic Age. As the frontier of contact between the north and the Central Plains, it not only inherits and promotes the tradition of cylindrical jars in the north, but also absorbs cultural heritage from the Central Plains. Painted pottery technology is an important representative of the integrated development of prehistoric civilization and one of the important sources of the origin and development of the diverse and integrated Chinese civilization. The ritual tradition of using jade objects to mark social status and grade formed during the Hongshan Culture period laid the foundation for the formation and improvement of traditional Chinese ritual systems in later generations.
In Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, the Red Mountain stands tall in the autumn morning light. Hongshan culture, named after Hongshan, has a long history, dating back about 6660-5000 years. It is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Photo by Sun Zifa
The jade pig dragon is one of the many jade artifacts of the Hongshan Culture. The number unearthed so far is not large, but it is the most influential jade artifact of the Hongshan Culture in the eyes of modern people. The Jade Pig Dragon is a jade object with a round carving shape in the Hongshan Culture. Compared with other jade objects, it has higher requirements in terms of material scale and production technology. It is also one of the objects that the Hongshan Culture has the most obvious influence on later generations. Judging from the production of jade and the preciousness of its raw materials, it is a "heavy artifact" in Hongshan culture.
Etiquette (social hierarchical norms and principles of social order) is the core and foundation of the social development of Hongshan Culture, and jade is the most important carrier of the etiquette of Hongshan Culture. It is not only one of the cultural characteristics of Hongshan Culture, but also one of the cultural characteristics of Hongshan Culture. Material representations of cultural core traits.
Jade ritual utensils are the material carrier of the ritual system of Hongshan Culture. In the early stages of the formation of the ritual system, a fixed standardized combination has not yet been formed. Therefore, the jade ritual utensils of the Hongshan Culture are still a combination of various shapes of utensils. In the process of the development and improvement of the ritual system, , this complex combination of rituals was gradually replaced by simpler, clearer, and replicable norms, and the image of the Jade Dragon has survived and continued to develop. As the most special and influential jade shape of Hongshan culture, the jade pig dragon is one of the jade ritual vessels that embodies the rituals of Hongshan culture, and is also one of the physical evidences of the formation of Hongshan cultural rituals.
The white jade pig dragon on display at the Liaoning Provincial Museum. Photo by Li Xi
Reporter from China News Service: Among the jade dragons discovered in the Hongshan Culture, a pig-headed snake body is a common image. Why is it used to reflect the dragon? What is the connection and meaning between the two in reality? Why is there still a saying of "Jade Bear Dragon"?
Jia Xiaobing:
Dragon is a fictional creature that does not exist in reality. It is a "composite" creature that combines the characteristics of multiple creatures. In the early stages of the formation of the dragon image, there were no complex features like the dragons of later generations. The most important feature was the curled body. This is also the main reason why the jades of this type in the Hongshan Culture were judged to be dragons. The name "Jade Pig Dragon" is based on the shape of its head, large ears, long snout, wrinkles on the snout and tusks. These features are more similar to the image of a pig. In addition to morphological characteristics, there are also considerations based on the development of Hongshan cultural production. The large altars, stone tombs, "goddess temple" and other important buildings of the Hongshan Culture discovered at that time can be compared with the later Temple of Heaven, imperial mausoleums and ancestral temples. Judging from the scale of this combination, this period's The Hongshan Culture is quite developed, and agricultural production that can store a large amount of surplus products should have occurred. In addition, the discovery of large-scale stone grass as a tool for soil-breaking cultivation also reflects the importance of agricultural production in the Hongshan Culture, and domestic pigs are Agricultural surplus by-products are closely related to agricultural production. Based on this, experts proposed the name Jade Pig Dragon. Snakes will produce shedding during their growth, which shows that they are constantly renewing and reborn. The combination of the two may be a reflection of people's expectations for the prosperity of the creatures on which their lives depended.
"Jade Bear Dragon" is also based on the interpretation of the shape of the artifact, and it is believed that the characteristics of the head should be more similar to that of a bear. Judging from the animal bones discovered by archaeology, a large number of bear bones were found in the Niuheliang site, while relatively few pig bones were found. Based on this, some researchers also proposed the name Jade Bear Dragon. Both Pig Dragon and Bear Dragon are names proposed by modern people studying ancient artifacts. They are a way to understand ancient society, but they do not affect the discussion of their use and functions in Hongshan society. Although there are differences between the two names, both believe that this curled posture can be defined by "dragon". In the "Niuheliang Report", the author abandoned these two controversial names and directly used "Jade Dragon". As for its What exactly the artistic prototype is is a matter of opinion, leaving more room for discussion among readers.
The jade pig dragon unearthed from the Niuheliang site. Photo provided by interviewee
Reporter from China News Service: There is a hole in the body of the jade pig dragon. For example, the jade pig dragon of Sanxing Tala in Inner Mongolia can be hung with a rope to maintain balance. What is the significance of this? What role did the Jade Pig Dragon play in prehistoric civilization?
Jia Xiaobing:
The drilling holes on the back of the Jade Pig Dragon may be related to the way this type of artifact was used. The position of the drilling holes is particularly well polished. It should be formed during use when it is hung with a rope. The direction of the polishing can be roughly determined. direction to use. The ability to maintain balance and the direction of the head when balancing can provide clues to determine the use situation of the artifact. Through the analysis of experimental archeology, we can understand the positional relationship between the Jade Pig Dragon and the user and event participants, and then determine its usage and function. . In other words, this balance actually reflects the user's requirements for the way it should be performed in ritual behaviors, as well as the maker's deep understanding of the way the artifact is used.
Judging from the unearthed situation of the Jade Pig Dragon, the tomb owner buried with the Jade Pig Dragon did not have a high level in the social system, but it was the most widely used type of jade found in the Hongshan Culture. In some scales and levels, it was relatively Among the smaller sites, such as the Banlashan site and Tianjiagou site that have been excavated so far, jade pig dragons have been unearthed, and the jade pig dragon is the most exquisitely shaped artifact. This may mean that the jade pig dragon is a part of the Hongshan culture. The most important type of artifact in grassroots social organizations is also a reflection of the mass foundation for the formation and development of Hongshan civilization.
Visitors view the Hongshan Culture jade-shaped dragon at the National Museum of China. Photo by Tian Yuhao
Reporter from China News Service: In the evolution of dragon images, where does the jade pig dragon fit?
Jia Xiaobing:
In the process of evolution, the Jade Pig Dragon belongs to the early stage of the formation of the dragon image, but the abilities and characteristics contained in the dragon have basically appeared, such as the basic posture of curling into a circle. Yuanqi means endless, without beginning or end, and represents the constant renewal and development of life. Its tangible parts have begun to be related to creatures of specific shapes.
Animal images with clear animal heads and curled snake bodies are also seen on Zun-shaped vessels of the Zhaobaogou Culture. Dragons made of jade first appeared in the Hongshan Culture. Changes in the medium of the artifacts mean that the objects they carry Changes in the importance of image. The emergence of the jade dragon means that the status of the dragon shape has been significantly improved during this period and it has begun to enter the mainstream ideology. The image of the Jade Pig Dragon basically established the standard shape of dragon images in later generations. With the continuous addition of new elements, the complex biological combination image in modern people's impressions was gradually formed.
A C-shaped dragon from the Hongshan Culture jade on display at the Liaoning Provincial Museum. Photo by China News Service reporter Yu Haiyang
Reporter from China News Service: The Chinese nation is known as the "descendants of the dragon." How does the Hongshan culture, especially the discovery of the Jade Pig Dragon, provide the basis for "descendants of the dragon"? What significance and impact does it have on tracing the origin of civilization?
Jia Xiaobing:
"Descendants of the Dragon" shows that the image of the dragon is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. From the perspective of the changing process of the image of the dragon, the shape of the dragon is obviously affected by the medium of expression. The image of the dragon based on depiction, characterization and other expression methods is more complex and diverse, and jade The image of the dragon represented by the medium is relatively simple, focusing more on its core characteristics. Whether it is a pig dragon or a bear dragon, their concrete characteristics are all based on creatures that people can directly come into contact with in life. The core characteristics conveyed by the dragon may not lie in its specific image, but in the concept of etiquette contained in it. inherited. Although in the later period, with the improvement of the etiquette system, ritual vessels were gradually replaced by copper ritual vessels, the characteristics related to etiquette and gentleman contained in jade vessels were passed down.
The gradual and in-depth understanding of the pluralistic and integrated Chinese civilization formed by exploring the origins of civilization and the understanding of Chinese traditional culture show that Chinese civilization continues to enrich and develop. Just as the image of the dragon shows the fusion of various biological characteristics, Chinese civilization is also constantly enriched and developed in the process of cultural development and integration, and is endless. The dragon image shown in the Hongshan Culture Jade Dragon can be regarded as the original image in the early stages of the formation of Chinese civilization. The enrichment and evolution of the dragon image is the epitome of the formation and development of a unified multi-ethnic country. (over)
Interviewee profile:
Jia Xiaobing, director of the World Archeology Research Office of the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Jia Xiaobing, PhD in history, researcher. Director of the World Archeology Research Office of the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Specially Invited Researcher of the Comparative Research Center of Chinese Civilization and World Ancient Civilizations of the Chinese Academy of History; Chinese Team Leader of the China-Egypt Joint "Excavation and Research of the Mentu Temple Site Group"; State Administration of Cultural Heritage The person in charge of the major project of Archaeological China "Research on the Civilization Process of Hongshan Society". The main research fields are the study of the origin of Chinese civilization and the comparative study of world civilizations.