China News Service Shijiazhuang April 20 Title: Lei Jianhong: How does Xiong'an inject the Yan culture of "generous and sad songs" into Chinese civilization?
China News Service reporter Niu Lin Li Xiaowei
One of the major issues in xiong'an's construction archaeology is to further excavate and confirm the source of Yan culture that injected the temperament of "generous and tragic songs" into Chinese civilization. In the past five years, what kind of answer has been given to Xiong'an archaeology, which has been opened since the Nanyang site? Lei Jianhong, an associate researcher at the Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, recently accepted an exclusive interview with the China News Agency's "East and West Questions" to interpret the cultural genealogy and cultural origin of Xiong'an.
The interview transcript is summarized below:
China News Service: As one of the regions with the richest cultural accumulation in the North China Plain, what kind of historical iteration has Xiong'an experienced? What is its position in the process of Chinese history and culture?
Lei Jianhong: The Xiong'an area, or Baiyangdian area, is one of the most densely distributed areas of ancient cultural relics in Hebei. The history of human activities in the Xiong'an area can be traced back to prehistoric times.
In the Neolithic period, the cultural genealogy of Xiong'an area is complex, with clear chronological sequences in the early, middle and late periods, and there are Beifudi culture, Yangshao era culture, Longshan era culture, etc., dating from about 8000 to 4500 years ago.
During the Xia, Shang, and Western Dynasties, the Baiyangdian region was between Huaxia and Rongdi, and belonged to the northern frontier of the Central Plains Dynasty. At the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the State of Yan was divided into the state of Yan to run the north, and the State of Yan became the northern barrier of the Zhou Dynasty.
In the early Spring and Autumn Period, the Marquis of Yanhuan moved the capital to Linyi, and until the Warring States period, the southern frontier of the Yan state was bounded by Yishui and Zhao and Qi. The Zhao state destroyed Zhongshan and obtained the new land of Present-day An, laying the basic pattern of "Yannan Zhaobei" in the Xiong'an region.
After the unification of the Six Kingdoms by the Qin, Guang'an County, Xiong'an New District belonged to Yi County, Guangyang County. During the Western Han Dynasty, the Youzhou Thorn History Department was placed, and during the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was returned to the Jizhou Thorn History Department. Until the Northern Dynasty, the area was in a marginal area between Youzhou and Jizhou, or Jizhou or Youzhou or belonged to it.
During the Song and Liao dynasties, the border customs culture in the Xiong'an area had distinct cultural characteristics. The archaeological remains represented by the Song and Liao border tunnels and the Yuchang culture are important historical witnesses of the Northern Song Dynasty in China. During the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the Xiong'an area, as a "barrier to Qifu", became the bridgehead of the Gongwei Jing Division.
Distribution map of cultural relics in Xiong'an New Area. Courtesy of Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
The geographical environment around Xiong'an is open, and culture spreads and communicates here, forming a multicultural intersection area, where the farming culture of the Central Plains and the northern grassland culture, the eastern coastal culture and the western inland culture interact and influence here, and the cultural outlook is colorful, showing diversity and complexity.
Historically, Xiong'an is located at the junction of farming and nomadic civilizations, and at the same time at the forefront of conflict and confrontation. It is this kind of exchange and collision, under the geopolitical form of "Great Wall-Border Pass", that has created the spiritual temperament of Xiong'an's "simple and courageous", the social atmosphere of "light life and righteousness" and the humanistic quality of "compatibility and openness". Here, multiculturalism collides, communicates, integrates and develops, precipitating into the open and inclusive cultural genes of the Chinese nation, witnessing the historical process of the pluralism and integration of Chinese civilization.
China News Service: Why does the construction of Xiong'an need to "archaeology first"? What is the historical significance of the "Xiong'an Archaeology" that was first opened?
Lei Jianhong: No historical context, no Xiong'an future. A city, to stand, the key is to inherit its own context. Xiong'an construction archaeology first, is to have a reverence for history and culture, care for the millennium context.
The construction of Xiong'an New Area is a "millennium plan", and inheritance is the foundation of development. Do a good job in the protection and utilization of cultural relics in Xiong'an New Area, so that it can be integrated into the social and economic development of Xiong'an New Area to the greatest extent, so that it can develop and protect in the process of protection, which is not only to keep the thousand-year-old historical memory of Xiong'an New Area, but also to provide cultural nourishment for the economic construction of the new area.
Searching for roots and archaeological investigation is an extremely arduous and cumbersome project. As a cultural symbol and memory carrier, Xiong'an New Area has a large number of cultural relics, deep underground burials and a large age span. In order to effectively do a good job in the protection of cultural relics and provide an archaeological basis for the scientific planning and steady construction of the new area, a global archaeological survey was launched in advance to find out the family foundation. At the same time, we will vigorously promote the pre-archaeological work, fundamentally solve the contradiction between the construction of Xiong'an New Area and archaeological work, and promote the coordinated development of economic construction and cultural relics protection and archaeological scientific research.
In the cultural relics exhibition room of the cultural relics protection and archaeology workstation of Xiong'an New District, Lei Jianhong sorted out and inspected the excavated cultural relics. Photo by Zhai Yujia, a reporter from China News Service
China News Service: What scientific and technological means have been used by Xiong'an archaeology? What progress and results have been made so far?
Lei Jianhong: The archaeological work in Xiong'an New Area needs to practice innovative concepts, enhance scientific and technological content, and promote digital archaeology. The first is to establish a comprehensive archaeological business management platform, implement standardized and scientific management of archaeological work, and initially form an archaeological resource database to facilitate query, management, and academic research, and realize research sharing.
The second is to use airborne laser, photogrammetry and other remote sensing mapping technologies to carry out the ancient geographical environment of Xiong'an New Area, the Yannan Great Wall, and the 200 square kilometers of ground cultural relics in the starting area.
Third, the archaeological site fully adopts digital technology and equipment, which improves the efficiency of archaeological work on the one hand, and improves the scientific level of archaeological work on the other hand.
Since the establishment of Xiong'an New Area, archaeological work and achievements have mainly included the following aspects:
The first is to carry out a comprehensive archaeological survey of cultural relics in Xiong'an New Area. In order to further understand the distribution and quantity of immovable cultural relics in Xiong'an New Area, the joint archaeological team of Xiong'an New Area conducted a comprehensive archaeological survey of cultural relics in the whole area from May to December 2017, found 263 immovable cultural relics, and compiled the "Special Report on cultural relics survey in Xiong'an New Area".
The second is to carry out archaeological surveys, explorations and excavations at the Nanyang site. As the largest national key cultural relics protection unit in Xiong'an New Area, nanyang ruins are rich in culture. Through archaeological excavations, it is basically confirmed that the main culture of the Nanyang site is the Yan culture of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, which consists of two Warring States city sites, and a Warring States cemetery was found 1600 meters northwest of the Nanyang site, which is a typical Yan cultural feature regardless of the tomb shape system or excavated artifacts. The coexistence and discovery of city sites and tombs and mutual confirmation can more comprehensively study the local ancient social conditions from the aspects of "life" and "death", and further prove the age and nature of the Nanyang site. Combined with the discovery of "YiShi" pottery pieces and relevant historical documents, it provides an important clue for the search for the southern city of the Yan State "Yi" in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.
The third is to carry out archaeological work on the ruins of Yanzhou City, the Dongxiaoli-Bailong Southwest Cemetery, the ruins of Guzhou City, and the ruins of Chengzi.
The fourth is to carry out archaeological exploration and excavation in the starting area of Xiong'an New Area.
Floor plan of Nanyang Ruins in Xiong'an New Area. Courtesy of Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
China News Service: How does Xiong'an archaeology excavate and confirm the source of Yan culture that injects the temperament of "generous and tragic songs" into Chinese civilization?
Lei Jianhong: Yan culture occupies an important position in the Chinese civilization system and is also the essence of Hebei's history and culture. Yan culture has a process of nurturing, developing and continuing, Hebei's Yan culture, in the whole Yan culture is in a mature and brilliant period, its "generous and tragic song" has become a unique symbol of Yan culture and a concentrated summary of Yandi style, and the right way has become an excellent crystallization of traditional Chinese culture. One of the major issues of Xiong'an archaeology is to further excavate and confirm the source of Yan culture that injected the temperament of "generous and tragic songs" into Chinese civilization.
The archaeological and cultural outlook of Xiong'an New Area from the Eastern Zhou to the Han and Wei Dynasties is basically a Yan cultural factor, represented by the Nanyang site. The main cultural connotation of the Nanyang site and its surrounding areas is the Yan culture of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Later Yan culture of the Han and Wei Dynasties.
Whether the Nanyang ruins are the capital of the Yan Kingdom are "Linyi" or "Yi" cannot be determined at present. Historical records record that Yan moved the capital five times, and in the early Spring and Autumn Period, when the northern Shanrong invaded, the Marquis of Yan huan migrated to "Linyi"; in the middle of the Warring States period, Yan Wen moved to "Yi". However, the location of "Linyi" and "Yi" is very controversial. Nanyang Village once excavated copper ding, copper pots and other utensils from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and inscribed inscriptions such as "Right Zhengyin" and "Xigong"; and successively found "Yan Wang Gongge", copper chisels and a large number of sword coins, all showing the Yan style, and its geographical location is also similar to the "Linyi" and "Yi" in the history books. However, in recent years, through archaeological excavations at the Nanyang site, no noble tombs and palace sites have been found, which are two important elements as a capital city.
Lei Jianhong displays copper bubbles excavated from the Nanyang site in Xiong'an New District. Photo by Zhai Yujia, a reporter from China News Service
After archaeological investigation, it has been found that the "Great Nanyang" site settlement group with the Nanyang site and the Hangmatai site as the core has a huge area of nearly 18 square kilometers. The number of sites and cemeteries has reached 13, and the cultural relics have been preserved from the late Neolithic period to the Song and Jin dynasties, and the cultural development has continued for nearly 3,000 years, the archaeological and cultural development has been continuous, and the trajectory of the inheritance vein is clear. As an important benchmark archaeological reference point, the "Great Nanyang" area is an important part and epitome of the thousand-year history and culture of Xiong'an New Area, and an important cultural resource for the development and construction of the new area.
Taking the construction of Xiong'an New Area as an opportunity, archaeologists are committed to carrying out archaeological investigation, exploration and excavation of the area east of the Daqing River centered on the Nanyang ruins, the front area of the Taihang Mountain in the east of the Taihang Mountains around the Cemetery of Dama Gezhuang, and the areas on both sides of the ancient Yellow River near the ruins of Nanling City, aiming to carry out in-depth and systematic research on the Two Zhou Yan culture, the Xianyan (Yan) culture, and the Houyan (Yandi) culture, and at the same time integrate into the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integrated regional archaeology, trying to outline the historical development process of the incubation, development, maturity, glory and decline of the Qingyan culture. (End)
Respondent Profiles:
Lei Jianhong, born in 1971, is an associate researcher and the director of the Archaeology Department of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties of the Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. He graduated from the Department of History of Shandong University in 1996, majoring in archaeology, and has been engaged in archaeological excavation and research. He has been responsible for the archaeological investigation, exploration and excavation of more than 30 large-scale capital construction projects such as the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, Shihuang Expressway, Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway, Qingyin Expressway and Zhangshi Expressway. He presided over several special research and archaeological excavations such as the ruins of Huanghua Haifeng Town, the urn burial of Huanghua Dicheng, the Nanyang ruins of Xiong'an New District and the Dongxiaoli-Bailong Southwest Cemetery. Among them, the archaeological excavation of the urn burial in GaodiCheng was selected as "2016 China Important Archaeological Discovery". He is the chief editor of a monograph entitled "Imprints of the Ancient City of the Warring States - Ancient City Civilization of the Warring States and the Qin and Han Dynasties", and has published dozens of papers or excavation reports in various journals, such as "Archaeological Discussion on the Northern Dynasties of Wei and Jin in Hebei", "Archaeological Discovery and Research on the Second Tomb of Zhao Wangling", "Briefing on the Excavation of the M2 Cemetery of Dadezhuang cemetery in Wei County, Hebei", "On the 'City' of Lingshou City in Zhongshan, Warring States", "Briefing on the Excavation of the Sui and Tang Salt Workshop Sites in Dazuozhuang, Huanghua, Hebei", etc.