Henan Announces New Major Discoveries Related to Shang Dynasty

Henan Announces New Major Discoveries Related to Shang Dynasty

河南商代考古有重大发现

 

At the 2021 Forum on Xia Culture (2070-1600 BC) held in Zhengzhou city of Henan province on December 3, archaeologists introduced their new discoveries about the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) in Zhengzhou, Anyang and Luoyang cities.

12月3日，在郑州举行的2021夏文化论坛上，考古专家还介绍了郑州、安阳、洛阳等地商代考古的新发现。

 

Shi Donghui from Henan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology presented their latest progress of archaeological studies at the Xiaoshuangqiao Site in Zhengzhou.

在2021夏文化论坛上，河南省文物考古研究院师东辉介绍了小双桥遗址考古新进展。

 

To the east of the center at the Xiaoshuangqiao Site lies a high platform called "Zhou Bo's tomb", proved to be a rammed-earth foundation built in the Shang Dynasty and a key to finding features of Xiaoshuangqiao Site by archaeologists who have found out the remains around range from the Shang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), indicating the foundation was used throughout the ages. On its top are a large number of building remains of the Shang Dynasty. Experts predict here possibly lies a three-story high-platform building in the Shang Dynasty according to the rammed-earth and column-grid structures. If so, then it would be one of the earliest high-platform buildings ever discovered.

小双桥遗址中心区域东部有一座被称为“周勃墓”的高台，经过考古钻探调查，确认这里是一处建筑于商代的夯土台基。专家认为，“周勃墓”商代夯土台基是搞清小双桥遗址性质等学术问题的关键。经过考古发掘，发现高台地层历商代、战国、汉代、隋代、唐代、宋代、明代、清代，也就是说，这座夯土台基，历代都有使用。在夯土台基的顶部，发现了大量的商代建筑遗迹。有专家根据夯土结构和“木骨”柱网结构等推测，这里可能是一处商代三层高台建筑，如果推测属实，将是迄今为止发现最早的高台建筑之一。

 

Archaeological excavations have confirmed that the rammed-earth foundation can be traced back to the early mid Shang Dynasty, said Shi Donghui. The discovery of a large number of building remains belonging to the Shang Dynasty is helpful to better understand the rammed-earth foundation and Xiaoshuangqiao Site's layout and features.

师东辉介绍，经过考古发掘，确定了建筑夯土的年代为商代小双桥时期（商代中期偏早）。夯土台基上大量商代遗存的发现，对探讨夯土台基的性质具有一定帮助，也有助于对小双桥遗址布局和性质的认识。

 

Archaeology of the Yin Ruins in Anyang has always been a concern. At the 2021 Forum on Xia Culture, Kong Deming, head of Anyang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, introduced their latest discoveries at the Yin Ruins.

安阳殷墟考古历来备受关注。在2021夏文化论坛上，安阳市文物考古研究所所长孔德铭向与会专家、广大网友介绍了安阳殷墟等地最新的考古发现。

 

To the north of Huanbei (where a capital city site of the mid Shang Dynasty located) of Anyang lies the Taojiaying Site, which is one of the few known settlement sites with ring trenches in the mid Shang Dynasty.

安阳陶家营遗址位于洹北商城的北部，与商代中期都城洹北商城同时期，是目前所知为数极少的商代中期环壕聚落遗址。

 

A total of 27 tombs of the mid Shang Dynasty have been newly discovered. Divided into 2 rows from south to north, they are evenly distributed in the north of the south trench except 2 small sacrificial pits. More than 170 artifacts have been unearthed, including bronze wares, pottery wares, jade wares, etc. Bronze wares and pottery wares have outnumbered others. Among them, 4 relatively large tombs are well preserved with 97 artifacts including 51 bronze wares discovered.

本次发掘商代中期墓葬27座，除了2座小型祭祀坑，均分布于南壕沟北侧，呈南北两排分布，十分规整。经初步统计已出土各类器物170多件，包括铜器、陶器、玉石器等，铜器与陶器数量最多。其中4座墓形制较大，保存完整，出土各类随葬器物共97件，包括青铜器51件。

 

Taojiaying Site is rich in artifacts and clearly divided into areas of different functions, such as living, production and burial. Its layout is highlighted by the tombs orderly arranged in rows from south to north. A large number of bronze wares with distinct features, including ritual vessels, weapons and tools, have well filled the gap of bronze culture between the early and late periods of Shang Dynasty.

陶家营遗址保存较好，遗迹丰富，聚落内有清楚的功能分区。生产生活区和墓葬区相对独立，南北成排、东西成列的墓葬排列方式更是突显了其规划特征。大量礼器、兵器、工具等青铜器特征鲜明，极大地丰富与完善了商代早、晚期之间青铜文化的缺环。

 

According to Kong Deming, covering a large area with rich remains densely distributed, the Taojiaying Site was presumably an important satellite city to the north of Huanbei during the same period.

孔德铭说，陶家营遗址范围大，遗迹分布密集，文化内涵十分丰富，应该是洹北商城北部同一时期的重要卫星城。（中文来源/河南日报 记者/张体义 编译/赵汉青 海报/王君艺 审校/丁岚）