"Which is the stone and which is the stone tool, it may look the same for ordinary people, but we can tell at a glance." At the Maliang Site, an ancient human cultural site in the Nihewan Ruins Group in Yangyuan County, Hebei Province, several peasant archaeologists are busy, some intently cleaning the soil layer, and some meticulously measuring records.
The Nihewan site group has a Quaternary standard strata recognized by the international geological and archaeological community, rich mammal fossils and human paleolithic remains, and is known as the "hometown of oriental humans". Here, some farmers who were originally "facing the loess with their backs to the sky", relying on the unique local resource advantages, rooted in the fields all year round, accumulated rich experience in investigation and excavation, and formed a peasant archaeological team.
Born in 1961, Dayi you is recognized by the local archaeological team as the most experienced archaeologist with "practical experience". He has participated in the excavation of the local Nihewan Stone Ditch site, searched for important archaeological materials from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties in Anhui, traveled to Shaanxi to conduct paleolithic surveys, and restored Han Dynasty pottery in Tianjin. Excavation, drilling, rubbing, restoration, Lao Bai has mastered almost all the technical work on the archaeological site.
Dayday said that his embarkation on the archaeological road stemmed from a chance, the door to the new world was opened, and he found a career he insisted on.
"During a livestock release in 1991, I stumbled upon a fossil. Because I didn't understand it at the time, I didn't care too much, thinking it was just an ordinary stone, and later archaeologists came to investigate, only to learn that it was a fossilized elephant skull. "It is said in the daytime that there are cultural relics on the ground under his feet, which feels too novel, and he ignited his strong interest in cultural relics and archaeology, and he officially embarked on this road in 1992."
According to Sun Yongchun, deputy director of the Cultural Relics and Environmental Protection Bureau of the Nihewan Management Committee, farmers and archaeologists do not have high academic qualifications, but they have "hard skills". They are active on archaeological sites and play an important role in the excavation of artifacts. "Peasant archaeologists can assist archaeologists in investigating, exploring, mapping, recording, sorting, etc. on ancient ruins, and some can also complete the restoration of artifacts." Sun Yongchun said.
Wei Qi, a former researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, commented that these peasant technicians are good "hunters" for catching paleolithic tools, and as long as there are stone tools, they cannot escape their golden eyes.
Because of this, whenever there is a major archaeological excavation, these "soil experts" can be seen in the team.
"Before the start of a major project, archaeological exploration must be carried out. In the 1990s, I followed Wei Qi, an archaeologist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to the Three Gorges area to do research, which took nearly 4 months, and the main purpose was to excavate paleolithic tools. At that time, 4 of the 6 members of his group were peasant technicians, and the whole group found more than 30 Paleolithic sites.
Archaeology when there is work, farming without work, this is the daily life of many peasant archaeologists. In terms of income, field archaeology is far less profitable than going out to work. But during the interview, the reporters felt that because of their love, they were extremely dedicated to the work.
"The significance of this job is so great that I feel like I'm also doing a small part in protecting the country's cultural heritage, and that sense of accomplishment is not something that money can measure." Bai Huiyuan, the son of Bai Ri, said. A peasant archaeologist born in 1987, this young man has participated in many major archaeological excavations and demonstrated excellent fieldwork skills.
"Last year, more than 20 grassland mammoth footprints were found at site No. 1 in Yuzuigou at the Maquangou site, and it is speculated that the footprints of those mammoths are about 1.6 million years old. I was honored to have been involved in this important excavation throughout the process. Bai Huiyuan said.
Field archaeology is a hard job, and peasant technicians work in the field for about 8 hours a day. In the summer, the sun is exposed, and the clothes are soaked inside and out every minute; in the winter, the cold wind is cold, and the fingers are always frozen numb and stiff. The conditions were tough, but they enjoyed it.
"I often say that we must not be afraid of hard work in the excavation of cultural relics, and we must have three forces: first of all, we must have brain power, archaeological work is responsible, and we must always keep a clear head; secondly, foot strength, doing fieldwork, legs and feet are indispensable; the third is eyesight, in the process of identifying and restoring cultural relics, we must concentrate on seeing accurately." Nearly 30 years of work experience has allowed Dayi to summarize his own set of archaeological "tips".
The Nihewan Ruins Group belongs to the large-scale Paleolithic archaeological and cultural site group, which is not only a national key cultural relics protection unit, but also a national geological relics nature reserve, and has a research history of nearly 100 years since the 1920s. According to statistics, as of the end of 2019, the Nihewan site group has investigated and discovered or excavated nearly 400 Paleolithic early, middle and late Paleolithic and Neolithic sites.
Day after day, year after year, these peasant archaeologists took root in the fields and contributed to the cause of archaeology. "I'll take the baton from my father and continue the cause I love until I can't do it." Bai Huiyuan said.
Xinhua News Agency, Shijiazhuang, October 8, 2020 Title: Farmers' Archaeological Team Active in Nihe Bay, the "Hometown of Oriental Humanity"
Xinhua News Agency: Qin Jing, Cao Guochang, Gao Bo
The image comes from the Internet