Xia Shang and Zhou Dynasty Project: Lifting the fog of ancient Chinese history, Chinese civilization is the only civilization in world history that originated independently and continues uninterrupted to this day. However, due to various reasons, there are serious gaps in the complete historical records of Chinese history, resulting in our very limited understanding of ancient Chinese history. Especially before 841 BC, we have almost no accurate historical data, which raises people's doubts about "5,000 years of civilization, 3,000 years of history", and also brings great challenges to the study of ancient Chinese history.
In 1995, when Song Jian visited India and Egypt, he found that museums in these countries have a clear chronology of history, dating back to more than 3,000 BC. By contrast, Chinese museums either have no chronology or are very different in chronology. This led to Song Jian's thinking and exploration, and he hoped to understand the historical era of China before 841 BC. On May 16, 1996, the Xia Shang Zhou Dynasty Project was officially launched, which lasted for 5 years.
The project is composed of experts in the fields of history, archaeology, philology, paleography and historical geography, astronomy and dating technology, and has set up a total of 9 topics and 44 topics. Through the synthesis of various research results, especially the research of literature, archaeology and astronomy, they finally released the "Report on the Achievements of the Xia Shang and Zhou Dynasty Project 1996-2000 (Simplified Version)".
The core content of this achievement report is the "Xia Shang Chronicles", which sets the first year of the Xia Dynasty as 2070 BC, the first year of the Shang Dynasty as 1600 BC, the time of Pangeng's migration to Yin as 1300 BC, and the time of King Wu as 1046 BC. Through the release of the chronology, the fog of the three dynasties of Xia Shang was cleared, and the chain of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization was re-connected, especially the history of the Xia Dynasty was redrawn. This is of great significance for the study of ancient Chinese history.
However, once the results of the Xia Shang and Zhou Dynasty Project were released, they were questioned and criticized by many scholars at home and abroad. Western scholars, in particular, were skeptical of the report, arguing that the results were politically influenced. At the 2002 annual meeting of the Asia Society, Western scholars, led by the United States, questioned the achievements of the Xia Shang and Zhou Dynasty Project, discussing the existence of the Xia Dynasty and the relationship between ancient history and politics. This skepticism goes beyond scholarship and suggests the criteria used by Western scholars to judge ancient Chinese civilization.
However, existing archaeological findings have confirmed that the first year of the Xia Shang dynasty did not exceed the time frame determined by the Broken Dynasty Project. The archaeological discoveries of Liangzhu culture, Taosi culture and other relics have confirmed the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization and the existence of the Xia Dynasty. The Xia Dynasty is no longer a myth and legend, but a real historical period. Therefore, Western scholars' doubts about the Xia Shang and Zhou dynasty project are obviously untenable. The release of the Xia Shang and Zhou Dynasty Project is of great significance for our understanding of ancient Chinese history.
It lifts the fog of ancient Chinese history and provides an important basis for us to re-understand and study ancient Chinese civilization. At the same time, it also arouses a sense of recognition and pride in ancient Chinese civilization. However, we must also be soberly aware that there are still many unsolved mysteries and controversies in the study of ancient Chinese history. We need to further strengthen our research and dig deeper into the treasures of ancient Chinese history. In conclusion, I would like to ask a question, that is: what do you think of the results of the Xia Shang and Zhou Dynasty Project? What problems and challenges do you think exist in the study of ancient Chinese history?
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