Shaanxi Archaeology Continues to Enrich the Historical Picture (Archaeological China)

Pictured: Murals of the tomb of Tang Hanxiu in Chang'an District, Xi'an. Pictured: Lizard-colored pottery pots unearthed from Yangguanzhai in Gaoling. Pictured: Xi'an Xianyang Airport Phase II unearthed sixteen national blowing figurines. Pictured: Bronze statues unearthed from Baoji Shigu Mountain.

Core reading

Shaanxi is the former capital of the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang Dynasties, and the historical relics are extremely rich, and important archaeology has greatly enriched the historical connotation. Sites such as Shenmu Shiya and Gaoling Yangguanzhai are of great significance in exploring the origin and development of Chinese civilization

In 1092 AD, Lü Dalin, a jinshi scholar and a native of Jingzhao Lantian (present-day Lantian, Shaanxi), with the purpose of "exploring the source of its production, in order to make up for the demise of the scriptures and the fallacies of Confucianism", compiled the book "Archaeological Map", wrote more than 200 pieces of ancient artifacts, and copied the shapes and models one by one, recorded the size, registered the capacity, weight and other information. The utensils recorded in the book pay more attention to the coexistence relationship between utensils, of which more than 90 instruments can be considered from the land, and more than half of them are from Shaanxi. Although the names and interpretations of lü Dalin's instruments are still discussable, their bibliographic methods are quite similar to the registration of cultural relics information in modern museums and archaeology, and set a research paradigm for later epigraphical bibliographies. In 1921, the excavation of Yangshao Village in Henan Province opened the door to modern Chinese archaeology, 829 years after Lü Dalin's "Archaeological Map".

Shaanxi is the former capital of Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang, and is extremely rich in historical relics, making it a veritable archaeological province. After several generations of scientific archaeology, surprising and important discoveries have emerged in Shaanxi in an endless stream, which not only establishes a space-time framework from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic, but also enriches the context and foliage of the historical period.

Excavations at the cockfighting platform site

Lay the norms for the modern field archaeology industry

The Shaanxi Archaeological Society is the earliest institution in the history of Shaanxi archaeology to use modern scientific means to carry out cultural relics investigation, cultural relics protection and field excavation, and led the first scientific archaeological activity in Shaanxi - the excavation of the Baoji Doujitai site.

From 1934 to 1937, The Cockfighting Platform underwent three large-scale archaeological excavations. During the excavation process, the archaeologists under the leadership of Xu Xusheng innovatively adopted the means of zoning "exploration method" excavation, writing excavation logs by English alphabet and numbering methods, standardizing records, etc., and established the practice of measuring the three-dimensional coordinates of the site with the southwest corner of the trench as the measurement punctuation point, laying the industry norms for modern field archaeological excavation and collation. This excavation has revived the Zhou Qin culture that has been lost for thousands of years in the loess soil, creating a group of outstanding Chinese archaeologists such as Su Bingqi. Research results such as Tombs in the Eastern District of Fighting Taigou and Tomb Illustrations of the Eastern District of Fighting Cocks And Ditches have also contributed to the birth of archaeological typology, an important archaeological research method.

The excavation and research of Doujitai has left a strong mark in the history of the development of Chinese archaeology, and is considered to be "one of the most important excavation projects in the initial development period of Chinese archaeology" and a classic example of modern archaeological research, marking the beginning of modern archaeology in Shaanxi.

In addition, a series of early archaeological activities carried out in Shaanxi have also had a profound impact on the scientific archaeological investigation, excavation and research after the founding of New China, and the archaeological work at some important sites has continued to this day. For example, in 1938, the investigation and excavation of cultural relics and monuments in The Hanzhong region such as Zhang Qian's tomb was investigated and excavated; from 1941 to 1945, the art and cultural relics delegation headed by Wang Ziyun made a field investigation of the Han and Tang Emperor's mausoleums, ancient temples, Moya stone carvings and other artistic relics in Shaanxi. In 1942, in order to find and confirm the documented capital of the Zhou Dynasty, archaeologist Shi Zhangru investigated the legendary Tai, Feng, Feng, Pickaxe and other places, of which the investigation report around Qiyang Fort, "The Legendary Field Investigation of the Zhou Capital", laid the cornerstone of the archaeology of the Western Zhou Capital.

From the half-slope to the Terracotta Warriors

Archaeological discoveries have shocked China and foreign countries

At the beginning of the founding of New China, hundreds of wastes were waiting to be rebuilt, and cultural relics and monuments were constantly found in production activities and large-scale infrastructure construction, and the Land of Sanqin was no exception. The Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, Northwest University and other units have carried out a large number of archaeological excavations in Shaanxi, and sites of great value for the construction of prehistoric cultural genealogy have emerged, such as Xi'an Banpo, Baoji Beishouling, Huaxian Quanhu Village, Huaxian Yuanjun Temple, and Xixiang Lijia Village.

The archaeological excavation of the Banpo site in the spring of 1953 was a milestone in the history of Chinese archaeology, and the Banpo model of Chinese settlement archaeology was established. The Banpo site covers an area of about 50,000 square meters, and from 1954 to 1957, five large-scale excavations have been carried out, with an excavation area of 10,000 square meters, which is the first time that Chinese Neolithic archaeology has harvested such rich information. The museum of the first prehistoric settlement site in New China was established at the excavation site, and the archaeological results were directly displayed to the public and received good communication effects.

In 1958, the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Management Committee led the first provincial cultural relics census. In November of the same year, the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Research Institute was formally established, and the investigation and excavation work was carried out quickly, and a number of important prehistoric and Shang and Zhou period sites were discovered. Archaeological excavations such as the Ruins of Fenghao in Western Zhou, Qinyongcheng, Qinxianyang, Chang'an City of han and Tang Dynasties, Qianling Funerary Tomb, and Yaozhou Kiln have laid the foundation for the establishment of the basic framework of archaeology in Shaanxi's historical period.

Fengjing and Hojing, also known as "Fenghao", were the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty and the earliest model cities in China. Archaeologists have initially established the regional distribution range, age and nature of the Fenghao site, and found large palace sites and construction areas, the ruins of handicraft workshops such as copper casting, bone making, and pottery, as well as a number of noble cemeteries and bronze cellars. The study of the paleoenvironment, paleomorphology, paleo-water system and internal layout evolution of the Fenghao site has continued to be carried out.

From the 1960s to the 1970s, a number of important discoveries such as the Cellar of Hejia Village, the Tomb of Prince Zhanghuai, the Jiangzhai of Lintong, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin, and the Bronze Ware Cellar of Zhouyuan were of worldwide concern. In 1974, the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum shocked the world, and the qin shi huang underground army composed of thousands of people and thousands of vivid and realistic pottery figurines came to the front and opened the archaeology of the Qin Tomb that continues to this day. In 1979, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum of Qin Shi Huang was opened to the public, and the symbols of Qin civilization such as terracotta warriors and horses and bronze carriages and horses have been well-known at home and abroad ever since. The archaeological investigation, excavation and research results of the Qinling Tombs that have continued to this day have greatly enriched our understanding of the material culture before and after the unification of the Qin Empire and the institutional culture it represents.

In 1979, the inaugural meeting of the Chinese Archaeological Society was held in Xi'an, and archaeology ushered in a new spring. Since the reform and opening up, Shaanxi archaeology has embarked on a rapid development track, fame and foreign museums such as fame and foreign museums such as fame and foreign museums such as fame and foreign museums such as fame and fortune, such as the Famen Temple Underground Palace, the Hanyang Mausoleum Mausoleum, the Northern Zhou Wu Emperor's Tomb Tomb, and the Sui Dynasty Bridge of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, have continuously rewritten our understanding.

Major research projects

Extend the historical axis to enrich historical details

Entering the 21st century, Shaanxi archaeology has entered a new stage of development.

In terms of human origin exploration, Paleolithic archaeology in the Qinling area and along the Yellow River, especially the excavation of the site of the Hanzhong Scabies Cave, found the fossils of early modern humans in the Qinling area for the first time, providing important archaeological evidence for the theory that early modern humans evolved from native paleoclements in China and even East Asia.

In terms of exploring the historical context of the origin and development of Chinese civilization, sites such as Yangguanzhai in Gaoling, Lushan In Yan'an, and Shenmu Shi'an have been listed in major research projects such as "Chinese Civilization Exploration Project" and "Archaeological China". Among them, the Yangguanzhai site is the only settlement site known in the Guanzhong area with a complete ring trench in the Miaodigou period, and the large adult cemetery of the Miaodigou period confirmed for the first time in China is of great significance. The discovery of the Shi'an site is particularly striking. Archaeological harvests in the past 10 years show that the site of Shiya City is the largest prehistoric city site in East Asia between 4300 and 3800 years ago, with huge stone carvings, exquisite jade tools, and spectacular stone walls, all showing the splendor of the early kingdom capital on the Loess Plateau.

Zhou Yuan was a key area in the formation and development of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and the Fengyan No. 3 base site discovered in recent years is the largest excavated remains of a single western Zhou building to date. In particular, the standing stones and paving stone remains in the courtyard of the base site may be the remains of a "social ceremony" according to the literature. The archaeology of the Western Han Dynasty Emperor's Mausoleum, which has been unfolding since 2006, provides important physical materials for the discussion and confirmation of the ancient Chinese national political thought, ideology, and national governance system represented by the Western Han Dynasty.

It is the unshirkable duty of archaeologists to prosper the cause of cultural heritage and enhance the public's awareness of cultural heritage protection. In September 2019, the Shaanxi Archaeological Museum broke ground. The museum integrates scientific research, public education and social service, and tells the story of The Millennium Brewing and Century-old Development of Chinese Archaeology through the Shaanxi Case. As the first thematic museum in China to systematically display regional archaeological history, methodological concepts and important discoveries, the Shaanxi Archaeological Museum plans to open to the public in 2021, and strive to practice the historical value, cultural value, aesthetic value, scientific and technological value and era value of cultural relics, and enhance the dissemination of China's excellent traditional culture.

(The author is president of Shaanxi Institute of Archaeology)

Layout design: Zhao Kairu

People's Daily (13 December 2021, 19th edition)