The origin, formation and long -surviving way of Chinese civilization

Chinese civilization is famous for its greatness, ancientness, and continuity to this day. People naturally ask, when does such a great Chinese civilization originated from? In fact, the Chinese have answered since ancient times. The son -in -law made a man, the hexagram of Fuxi, the Shennong taught the people, the Huangdi unified the world, and the Dayu divided the great achievements of the Chinese ancestors of the past. Of course, the Chinese civilization is derived from the "three emperors and five emperors", based on the land of China.

Author | Han Jianye (Professor and PhD instructor of the Department of Archeology and Cultural Bo of the School of History of Renmin University of China)

Editing | Time

Edit | Peninsula

Source | Learning Times

Chinese civilization is famous for its greatness, ancientness, and continuity to this day. People naturally ask, when does such a great Chinese civilization originated from? In fact, the Chinese have answered since ancient times. The son -in -law made a man, the hexagram of Fuxi, the Shennong taught the people, the Huangdi unified the world, and the Dayu divided the great achievements of the Chinese ancestors of the past. Of course, the Chinese civilization is derived from the "three emperors and five emperors", based on the land of China. However, in recent hundreds of years, the situation has changed drastically. First, Westerners have fabricated "Chinese Culture West". After that, some Chinese people launch suspicious ancient campaigns and pinching internal and external. "Extreme remarks" such as the same history of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. The heavy responsibility of restoring the empirical history of Chinese ancient history has mainly fallen on the body of modern Chinese archeology.

Chinese civilization is a highly developed, developed by the Chinese nation,

Comprehensive entity created by long -term continuity material, spiritual and institutional creation

For a century, Anyang Yinxu, Zhengzhou Mall, Yanshi Erlitou, Xiangfen Tao Temple, Shenmu Shiji, Yuhang Liangzhu, and Qingyang Nanzuo, one by one is discovered, one page "wordless heaven" has been revealed Kai, business history has become a faithful history, Xia history has basically become a letter history, and there are many clues in the history of the "Five Emperors". Archaeological evidence showed that the Chinese civilization began in the late Shang Dynasty and traced back to the late Xia Dynasty. From more than 4,000 years, it dates back to more than 5000 years, 6000 years, 8000 years ... constantly extending forward. Over the past century, we have witnessed how our understanding of Chinese civilization has been seriously affirmed from being seriously questioned to re -affirming, and also experienced how Chinese civilization itself has moved from a low tide to revival.

Everyone is familiar with the "five thousand years of Chinese civilization", but some people say that only 3700 years or 8,000 years. Why is the differences so big? It is necessary to start with the understanding of the concept of "civilization" and "Chinese civilization". "Jun Zhe Civilization" in "Shangshu · Shun Dian", "The De Gang and Civilization" in "Zhou Yi · Da You · 彖", "Yi · Qian · Calligraphy" "Seeing the Dragon in the Field, the World Civilization" Waiting for the "civilization" in these Zhou Dynasty literature, referring to the height of humans at the level of moral cultivation and society at the etiquette system. The term "civilization" used in Chinese, mostly refers to the translation of the Western Vocabulary "Civilization" and other free translations. Generally, it is generally interpreted as a high -level social stage or national stage that is relative to "barbaric". The long -term inherited great cultural tradition, or the sum of material wealth and spiritual wealth created by humans.

In fact, the concepts of "civilization", "civilized society" and "national" need to be distinguished. Engels said that "the country is the generalization of a civilized society", which is to "national" basically equal to "civilized society" rather than "civilization." Chinese civilization, two river civilizations, and Egyptian civilization are native civilizations that lasted more than 3,000 years, not three narrow "countries" or "civilized society". We might as well define the "Chinese civilization" as a comprehensive entity created by the highly developed and long -term continuity of the Chinese nation.

Many people confuse two stages: "origin" and "formation" in the process of civilization. The formation of Chinese civilization was calculated from the earliest early state on the Chinese Grand Dadian, and before forming, there was a very long origin process, and the origin process could be divided into two steps.

The first step in the origin of Chinese civilization

The earliest human beings on the Chinese Great have a history of about 2 million years. Later, it has continuously evolved and merged the west to form the ancestors of the Chinese nation. For more than 10,000 years, rice and Su Zuo agriculture originated in the south and north. About 8,000 years ago, the two major agricultural systems of Nangui North Ansu were initially formed. About 6,000 years ago, the south and north are already typical agricultural society. China has a vast geographical space and natural environment that is suitable for developing agriculture, coupled with its unique dual agricultural system, can ensure the stability of food supply to the greatest extent, laying a solid foundation for the origin and formation of Chinese civilization.

When developing the most accurate agriculture in agriculture, this can only be achieved only by observing a fairly stable phenomenon. For example, folk proverbs say "February 2nd, the dragon looks up", refers to the moment when the Dragon Star of the East rises on the horizon, it is also the season when the spring plowing began in North China. "Observation time" is more than 8,000 years ago. A bone of a two -handed one end and one end found by the Daoyang Jiahu site in Henan, similar to the natural rules of Fuxi son -in -law on the portrait of the Han Dynasty, and a type of bone ruler. The "rules". "Observation time" naturally triggers a worship belief in heaven and a question from the gods of heaven and earth. The turtle shells found in Jiahu, the six paintings of the "gossip" symbols found in the six paintings and one group of "gossip" found by the Yiwu Bridge head and the Xiaoshan Cross -Lake Bridge site are relatively clear counting evidence. Hunan Hongjiang Gao Temple site also found the "ladder" or "Tongtian Temple" relics. There are also such "ladder" patterns on the white pottery sacrifice. The concept of worshiping heaven and respect for heaven has appeared. There is also an octagonal and round composite pattern on the Gaomiao Baotao, which is considered to mean the "Tianyuan Place" cosmic view, and later spread to the vast region of China. In addition, the symbols that may indicate the results of divination may be shown on the Jiahu Turtle Shell. Similar symbols are also found in ruins such as Qin'an Dadi Bay, Gansu. It is surprising that in the Xiliao River Basin, which is far away from Gao Temple, there is a dragon image of "seeing the first without seeing the end" at the same time, suggesting that as early as seven or eight thousand years ago, the "one yuan" faith in the north and south of China. Or the view of the universe. Developing agriculture also requires a very stable society, and such a society has also appeared 8000 years ago. The Yellow River Basin Pei Li Gang culture and Baijia culture have buried "family burial" cemeteries, which are rare in other parts of the Asia -Europe mainland in the same period. These tombs will be buried underground in the dead, with neat and funeral items, reflecting special care and respect for the deceased, indicating that there is a significant ancestor worship concept. The same graveyard is divided into groups, rows, and orderly order, which may reflect the order of the same clan (clan) people in terms of relative relationships, seniority, and other aspects. The same cemetery lasted for one to two hundred or even hundreds of years, indicating that the people had a long memory and adherence to the ancestral grave. It also provided a legitimate reason and "legitimacy" for the long -term cultivation life of future generations in this place. The tombs of Jiahu have differentiated, and the "rules", turtle shells, and bone flutes of the burial bone system of the tomb are basically adult men. Already entered the patriarchal clan society. At the same time, the Xinglongwa Culture of the Xiliao River Basin was neatly arranged, and the society was very orderly.

8,000 years ago, the order of society and a certain degree of social differentiation in most parts of China appeared, and a more advanced and complex ideological concept and knowledge system, including the cosmic view, ethics, historical concept, and astronomy, mathematics, symbols , Music knowledge, etc., these ideological concepts and knowledge systems have been inherited so far, constitute the core connotation of Chinese civilization. Furthermore, at that time, most of the regional culture of China had been initially integrated into a "early Chinese cultural circle", and it had the bud of cultural "early China". Therefore, the first step in the origin of Chinese civilization 8000 years ago.

The second step of the origin of Chinese civilization

About 6000 years ago, the Dongzhuang -Miao Dougou type of Yangshao Culture has risen rapidly and has a strong impact on the junction area of ​​Jin, Shaanxi, and Yu, which has led to the formation of cultural integration in most regions of China to form a three -level culture with the Central Plains as its core. Community, "early Chinese cultural circle" or the earliest cultural "early China" formally formed.

The external impact of the type of temple bottom gap is based on the powerful strength of its social change. About 6000 years ago, the number of settlements of the settlement site has increased by three or four times as the core area of ​​the core area. In the core area, 200-500 square meters of palace -style buildings appeared in the core area of ​​Henan, as well as the tomb of burial jade, and was a symbol of military power. Subsequently, Henan Gongyi Shuanghuai Tree and Gansu Qin'an Dadi Bay Center settlement. The two settlement sites are more than 1 million square meters, and they have palace -style buildings.

Other regions of the temple under the temple also accelerated the pace of social change. There are more than 1 million square meters of central settlement in the Lingjiatan culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The universe view of the Bazang Jiugong is in the same vein with the star lines of the High Temple. About the same period, the tomb of Songze Culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Dawenkou culture in the lower reaches of the Yellow River all appeared. Many ancient cities have emerged in Yau Ziling culture in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Such a large sacrifice center.

We see that the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, and the Xiliao River Basin in the temple ditch appeared in large settlements and large sacrifice centers. The powerful social organization capabilities and high technical levels show that the leaders and nobles who have mastered public power have emerged. The society has begun to accelerate the complexity and take the second step in the origin of Chinese civilization.

Chinese civilization formally formed

Engels proposes two signs of the country, one is to "divide its nationals by region", and the other is the "establishment of public power" above all residents. The regional division of the people is to replace the blood relationship with geographical relationships; the public power that is above the society is the "kingship", which is based on class differentiation. The above two signs are measured. The lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the middle reaches of the Yellow River in about 5100 have reached at least the standards for early countries or civilized society. Liangzhu culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River is centered on the Yuhang Liangzhu site. The Liangzhu site has nearly 3 million square meters of inner cities and 6.3 million square meters of outer cities. In the middle of the inner city, there are 300,000 square meters of artificially piled up the "Taicheng", with large -scale hall -style buildings. In the highest -level anti -mountain cemetery, more than 600 luxury tombs of jade wares were found. There are more than 300 altars, cemeteries, sites, workshops, etc. around the ancient city of Liangzhu, which can be divided into three or four obvious levels. Many large -scale engineering construction, a large number of jade articles such as high -specifications, and the production and reserves of a large amount of grain need to mobilize a large number of human and material resources within the wide range of space. The ancient country of Liangzhu has undoubtedly there is a regional "kingship".

One of the central settlements of the late Yangshao culture in the Yellow River is the Nanyu site of Qingyang, Gansu. There are multiple rings in the site, and the outer ring area is more than 6 million square meters. The central part of the site is a core area of ​​more than 300,000 square meters surrounded by the dual inner ring and the nine large rammed soil. The large building area or "Gongcheng" of the wall, the main hall of the main hall of the ease wall of the center is more than 800 square meters, and the indoor area is 630 square meters. Extraordinarily beautiful beautiful pottery, black pottery, color pottery, and a large amount of rice were unearthed near Miyagi. The construction engineering projects of multi -large ring hips, temple -style buildings, and "nine stations" are large, and the production of high -standard items such as Bai Tao has a professional division of labor. At that time Ancient Mountains ".

Liangzhu and Nanzuo are both centralized construction in a short period of time. Construction requires the human and material resources that need to mobilize a larger space. It has broken the limitations of the original clan society. The emergence of early countries. However, the geopolitical organization or early state of this period is also limited to local areas in China, so it can be called "ancient country" or "state". Of course, the emergence of geographical relations does not mean that blood relationships or the disappearance of ethnic groups. In fact, all ethnic groups have only gone through a "successive construction" integration. The relationship between blood and clan has always been the basis of Chinese society.

At the same time, society in the middle, lower and middle reaches of the Yellow River also generally accelerates development. It has initially entered the threshold of civilized society or standing in a civilized society. Dawenkou culture in the region has a larger city site and larger tomb. There are 20 ancient cities in the Qujialing culture in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and the largest Shijiahe City is at least 1.2 million square meters.

4100 years ago, Chinese civilization was mature

About 4,500 years ago, Xiangfen Temple Temple, which has an area of ​​about 2.8 million square meters in Jinnan, has a Miyagi, palace architecture, high -grade cemeteries, and "observatory". About 4,300 years ago, 4 million square meters of Shenmu Shima City appeared in northern Shaanxi. The core of its core of the imperial city is majestic and tall, with spectacular stone slopes outside, there are palace temple districts and exquisite stone carvings. Wangwan Third Phase III culture south of the Yellow River includes important settlements or ancient cities such as Yuzhou Watian, Dengfeng Wangchenggang, Xinmi Ancient City and Xinzhai. During this period, the middle reaches of the Yellow River may form a large society or early country centered on the Loess Plateau. The ancient city of Tao Temple is most likely to be the place where its capital is located. The lower reaches of the Yellow River appeared in the tomb of Zhufeng, a coffin and a set of funerals, and the Shijiahe culture in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River still stands in the ancient city. The Baodun culture in the Sichuan Basin also has an ancient city of about 3 million square meters.

Late Longshan, about 4100 years ago, the Central Plains Longshan Culture went south to the south of Henan and Jianghan, and it was likely that the "Yutai Sanmeng" incident in ancient history was born, and the Xia Dynasty was born. According to the literature records, the Xia King in the early summer of the Xia Dynasty had initially had the "unification of the world" political kingship, and the Chinese civilization entered the mature "kingdom civilization" stage since then. About 3800 years ago, I entered the late summer dynasty in Yanshi Erli as the capital city. The subsequent Shang Dynasty and Zhou Dynasty were more mature and developed civilized society.

The long -lasting way of Chinese civilization

8000 years ago, there was a "one yuan" universe view of "Tianyuan Place" and "Heaven and Man" in most parts of China. The root of maintenance of unity "is. China's geographical environment is vast and diverse. In the early days, China naturally had a "diversified" structure or multiple appearances. The origin of Chinese civilization also had different regional models. Chinese civilization is really the result of interacting with each other in various regions and the interaction between civilization elements in various places. The "flower heart" of the flower of civilization.

The early Chinese civilization of such a "one yuan" universe and the "central diversity" pattern is different from the "city -state civilization" model of Western Asia and Greek -style, but also different from the "Egyptian civilization" model that is highly homogeneous in social culture, butSpecial civilization models formed by unifying the social and culture of multiple branches with a common foundation can be called the "civilization of the world" model.The "one yuan" universe concept and the belief of the ancestor of the heaven, the pattern of "a central diversity" or the "world civilization" model, and cultural genes such as integrity and love, restraint and integration are the fundamental ways of Chinese civilization, and it is also the great way to exist in the world.The foundation of revival.

- END -