Crossing the fog of time, we continue our mysterious journey deep into the ruins of Shiyuan. In this ancient land, the evolution of history is like a splendid picture, and we will continue to uncover more unsolved mysteries and restore the memories of those long years.
Looking back at the long history from 1800 BC to 1500 BC, we see the existence of Chidi's ancestors at the Shiyuan site, which was a period of their prosperity. However, with the passage of time, the Chidi ancestors began to migrate southward, crossing the Wuding River to the Xiluo River area, leaving behind the miracle of the Lijiaya culture. The mystery of this migration, like an ancient legend, provokes us to think about the deeper meaning of history.
In the process of growing up in the Lijiaya culture, the ancestors of Chidi not only created a unique culture, but also had a profound interaction with the Chinese civilization. In 996 B.C., the Zhou people broke through the "Lijiaya Ruins" in the Guirong capital, an event that had a profound impact on the history of the Zhou and Shang dynasties. In 1101 B.C., Ji Li, a descendant of Chidi's ancestors, went west to the west and guarded the security of the Zhou State and ensured the tranquility of the western Shang Dynasty. This story of historical blending and conflict seems to have left traces in every piece of the ruins of the stone ridge site.
"After the foundation of the Imperial City of Taiwan was abandoned, new cultural groups moved here", the description in this excavation brief seems to be a turning point in history. The rise and fall of the Shiyuan cultural era may have been during this period.
The excavated cultural relics in the No. 1 courtyard are rich and diverse, among which the serpentine pottery is eye-catching. Through the study of these pottery, we find that the design of the serpentine mustache is similar to the artifacts of the Zhukaigou site, but it is more slender and tall overall, and the age is roughly equivalent to the early and middle Xia Dynasty. This discovery reveals the level of material culture and craftsmanship of the Shiyuan culture era, and also provides us with a window into the ancient crafts and lifestyles.
In addition to human activities, climate change is also an important factor affecting the Shiyuan culture. About 5,500 years ago, the climate began to cool and quickly fell to a low point 5,000 years ago, causing northern populations to move south. In order to prevent the destruction of the southbound crowd, the stone castle was raised in the area. 4,300 years ago, people from the south moved into the Shiyuan area, and this once rarely inhabited land began to usher in a population explosion.
The Jomon mustache people became the main inhabitants of this period, and they were descendants of the Central Plains people who migrated north. This includes not only the descendants of Hougang Phase I culture and Yangshao culture, but also the descendants of Hongshan cultural groups. This mixing and blending reflects the flourishing of multiculturalism in ancient societies and also shows us the complexity and diversity of the Shiyuan cultural era.
When tracing the history of the Shiyuan culture, we also need to pay attention to ancient DNA research. Although current ancient DNA testing may not be comprehensive, it provides us with important clues to understand the migration and evolution of ancient populations. The discovery that the ancestors of Bai Di and Chi Di may not have entered northern Shaanxi between 4,000 and 3,800 years ago echoes some archaeological conclusions.
However, there are still some representative artifacts, such as the "serpentine mustache", which may be a key symbol of the Beidi culture, and they first appeared at the Zhukaigou site. This provides us with archaeological clues to better understand the human activities and civilization processes during the Shiyuan culture.
Looking back on this period of history, which spans thousands of years, we can see the rich connotation carried by the Shiyuan ruins. This land has witnessed the rise and immersion of human society, the prosperity and twists and turns of civilization. Every stone, every artifact, is a witness to this ancient era and a window into our roots.
In this historical adventure, we travel through the fog of time, picking up the pieces of history and piecing them together