preface
The history of Chinese civilization has lasted for five thousand years, and its origins must be counted from the time of the Yellow Emperor. But many people are skeptical about this claim, believing that Chinese civilization is only four thousand years at most, and these people are not disparaging Chinese culture, but putting forward their views from a more rigorous archaeological point of view. With the continuous excavation of archaeological materials and the continuous interpretation of traditional documents, it can be proved that the Chinese civilization has indeed existed for 5,000 years.
In 1959, the Erlitou cultural site was excavated, which filled a major gap in Chinese historical and archaeological excavations and objectively proved the existence of the Xia Dynasty. Moreover, through the analysis of archaeological excavation materials, during the Xia dynasty, the classes have been divided, there are obvious hierarchies, and the scale of the city is also very large, indicating that the Xia Dynasty is the earliest country in Chinese history and has a far-reaching impact on the civilization of later generations.
First, archaeological excavations can explore the authenticity of historical events, and the excavation and research of erlitou cultural sites prove the true existence of the Xia Dynasty from the perspective of archaeology
Around 2070 BC, Yu established the Xia Dynasty, the Xia Dynasty is the first country in Chinese history, the establishment of the Xia Dynasty opened up China's slave society, but also the source of China's civilization era, but due to the lack of documents documenting the Xia Dynasty, many people have doubts about whether the Xia Dynasty really existed.
According to the "double evidence method", when archaeological materials and documentary materials verify each other, it is more likely to prove the true existence of a historical event. This method of exploring history has changed the hypothetical mode of thinking to a certain extent, laying the foundation for Chinese to truly explore the historical truth.
China has suffered aggression by the great powers in modern times, and the Chinese nation has reached the most dangerous time, just like the awakening of the lion, many literati cannot bring guns to kill the enemy, they use the pen as a gun, hoping to use words to stimulate the sense of national honor and unite the entire nation. The formation of a sense of national honor requires the support of common cultural roots, and it is very important to trace back to the roots, and it is very important to have a common historical heritage. As a result, many scholars began to shift their attention to the real problem of whether the Xia Dynasty was real.
There are very few documentary accounts of the Xia Dynasty. Because the earliest chinese writing originated from the oracle bone, there is no written record of history, we are all collectively known as the age of legends. Legends can reflect history to a certain extent, but due to the lack of rigor, legends are oral descriptions passed from person to person, so legends have great subjectivity and cannot serve as first-hand historical materials.
In 1959, the Erlitou cultural site came into view, and archaeologists came to Erlitou, Henan Province, and began to conduct archaeological excavations and research on Erlitou. The Erlitou culture is divided into four phases, which roughly proves that the site of the Erlitou civilization appeared between 1900 BC and 1600 BC, lasting nearly 300 years.
Different scholars have different views on which dynasty each period belongs to, but there is no doubt that there is always a period that can prove that it is related to the Xia Dynasty. Therefore, the Erlitou civilization was used as archaeological data to prove the true existence of the Xia Dynasty.
Second, through the study of the Erlitou site, it was found that the city in the site was huge in scale, and there were traces of outward expansion, there was obvious class differentiation, and the development of handicrafts and writing began to dawn, which can prove that the Xia Dynasty was the first country in China's history
Using the "double evidence method", Sima Qian's "Records of History" as a documentary material, the results of the excavation of the Erlitou site as archaeological materials, the two combined mutual arguments, which can prove that the Xia Dynasty was the earliest country in Chinese history, and the emergence of the Xia Dynasty marked china's entry into the slave society period.
Sima Qian recorded in the "Records of History": "For ten years, Emperor Yu went on a hunting tour in the east, and when he arrived, he died. After the three-year mourning, Yi RangYu's son Qi, "It can be seen that the Xia Dynasty changed the Zen concession system into "family world", and the Xia Dynasty had the existence of royal power.
Through the excavation and study of the Erlitou site, it can be found that the capital of the Xia Dynasty is huge, and a cross-shaped road appears in the middle of the city, the road is very wide, and the road divides the city into several areas, each area has different functions, such as a ceramic area, a residential area, a tomb area, and so on. Complex urban planning, side reflecting the increase in population, cities and population are important signs of the existence of the early state.
Through the observation of residential areas and burial areas, in the residential area, everyone has a different style of residence, some people live in semi-crypt houses, and some people live in ground-type houses. Through the observation of the burial area, the burial items of different classes are also different, and the funerary goods are a symbol of status.
In general, pottery and bronze are funerary items, and only people with high status are eligible to be buried with a large number of bronzes after death. It shows that in the Xia Dynasty, there has been a clear class differentiation, and the highest ruling class has emerged, and the royal power is also an important symbol of the emergence of the state.
After careful study of pottery, we found some carved symbols on the surface of the pottery, which are very graphic, such as painting a sun to represent the sun rising, and also drawing some curves to represent water. These carved symbols are the origin of Chinese characters, and after the interpretation of these symbols, perhaps the history of Chinese characters in China is three hundred years in advance.
The most striking thing about the Erlitou site is the appearance of bronze weapons and car marks from the car. The use of weapons proves to a certain extent that there was a war in the Xia Dynasty, and the traces of the car running over are very deep, and they are constantly extending outward, indicating that the ruling scope of the Xia Dynasty is constantly spreading outwards with "Erlitou" as the center. These changes all show that the Xia Dynasty was the earliest country in Chinese history.
Third, from the Erlitou civilization to see the achievements of the Xia Dynasty in national development, bronze manufacturing, agricultural development and the liturgical system, Xia had a profound impact on the Shang and Western Zhou, which together constituted the early National Era of China
The Xia Shang and Western Dynasties, known as the Era of Early Civilization, are also known as the Early State Era. The three dynasties seem to be progressive in time, but in fact all three dynasties were founded by tribal chiefs, and the three tribes were parallel for a long time.
The Xia tribe is located in southern Shanxi, the Shang tribe is mainly active in the Henan region, and the Western Zhou tribe is mainly in southern Shaanxi. However, the first to step into the era of national civilization was the Xia Dynasty, so the Xia Dynasty had a profound impact on the civilization of the Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou Countries after that.
Before Yu established the Xia Dynasty, the leaders of the primitive tribal alliances generally adopted the Zen system to achieve the transfer of power. Da Yu was meritorious in the management of water, shun valued his talents, and through the way of Zen, Yu Cai was elected as the leader of the tribal alliance. Because water control is a very huge project, and water control must be obeyed by one person, only in this way can the task of water control be completed. Therefore, in the process of controlling the water, Yu constantly established his own authority, and gradually became a being above others, and the shadow of the king's power was formed in the process.
In his old age, Yu thought that his merits were very great, and no one could match his own merits, so he looked down on no one, thinking that no sage could give him his position alone. At this time, selfishness and Qi also have certain abilities, so Yu decided to give up the position of Zen to his son Qi.
Kai subconsciously believed that the throne belonged only to his own family, and why did he pass the throne to others, so he continued to pass the throne to his son. In this way, the hereditary system of the throne was born, and the hereditary system of the throne was used by the Shang and Western Zhou.
After the establishment of the Xia Dynasty, the main scope of activity was concentrated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, which is now the Henan region. Due to the large number of people concentrated here, coupled with the superior natural conditions, the Yellow River Basin was first developed, and the agricultural economy continued to develop. Later, although the Xia Dynasty was destroyed, the developed Henan region attracted the dynasty established later. Therefore, the main area of activity of the Shang and Western Zhou was also in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, which became the origin of Chinese civilization.
The most prosperous era of bronze was the Shang Dynasty, but bronze was not created by the Shang king. As early as the Xia Dynasty, there were already many bronzes. For example, bronze weapons, bronze agricultural tools, bronze ceremonial vessels and so on appeared. Bronze ceremonial vessels are the most numerous, and they are also very exquisite, which shows the further development of the handicraft industry represented by bronze ware.
At the same time, bronze is also a symbol of status, and the higher the rank, the more bronze ceremonial vessels people have. This strict class differentiation, and it was an insurmountable hierarchical division, has always influenced the etiquette culture of the Shang and Western Zhou.
The oracle bone script is the earliest and most mature script in China, but the oracle bone originated from the carved symbols of the Xia Dynasty, which carved the text on pottery, which was compatible with the level of production at that time. As more and more interpretations of the oracle bone are made, and the text of the oracle bone is becoming more and more familiar to us, we will be surprised to find that the text on the Pottery of the Xia Dynasty and the text on the oracle bone of the Shang Dynasty have a certain similarity. It can be seen that the Xia Dynasty also laid the foundation for the development of Chinese characters.
epilogue
Our memories of the Xia Dynasty stay in Sima Qian's "Records of History", in addition to staying more in ancient legends. However, due to the lack of evidence, some people have always had doubts about whether the Xia Dynasty really existed. Even abroad, many people think that the Xia Dynasty is Chinese fiction, which is assumed by Chinese in order to enhance national self-confidence.
However, with the discovery of the Erlitou civilization, the excavation of bronzes and pottery, and the observation of the cities and pools of the Xia Dynasty, it was found that the cities of the Xia Dynasty were very large, and there was a certain class differentiation in society, and even a public power that overrode society. These all match the Xia Dynasty in the historical records, and prove the real existence of the Xia Dynasty from the perspective of archaeological excavations.
The early Chinese state era consisted of three dynasties of Xia and Shang, and there was a certain inheritance between them. The Xia Dynasty had a profound impact on the Shang and Western Zhou Dynasties in terms of agricultural development, the manufacture of bronzes, and the political system, and the Xia Dynasty ushered in the era of Chinese civilization.
bibliography
Historia
General Theory of Archaeology