Towards Civilization②|Yangshao village, birthplace of modern Chinese archaeology

Source：dahe.cn Published：2022-11-11 12:25

"We should attach more importance to and put more efforts on archaeological research to carry forward the project of tracing the origins of Chinese civilization," stressed Chinese President Xi Jinping during his recent inspection tour to Anyang city, Henan province. Henan, cradle of the Chinese nation and civilization, is not only the birthplace of modern Chinese archaeology, but also the core area for tracing the origins of Chinese civilization. Together with the Development and Reform Commission of Henan Province and the Administration of Cultural Heritage of Henan Province, we are launching the "Towards Civilization" bilingual series featuring 13 key archaeological sites in Henan to help you catch a glimpse of wonderful Henan and brilliant Chinese civilization. Here is the 2nd episode of the series: Yangshao village, birthplace of modern Chinese archaeology.

近日，习近平总书记考察了殷墟遗址，提出考古工作要继续重视和加强，继续深化中华文明探源工程。河南是中华民族和中华文明的重要发祥地，中国现代考古学从河南起步，中华文明探源从河南开始。2022年11月5日起，大河网联合省发展改革委、省文物局推出《追寻文明的足迹》系列报道，一起走进厚重河南。今日推出第二期：《中国现代考古学诞生地——仰韶遗址》。

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In 1921, a large number of cultural relics including pottery wares and stone tools were unearthed at the Yangshao site in Yangshao village of Sanmenxia city, Central China's Henan province, which confirmed for the first time that there was a highly-developed Neolithic culture in Chinese history. Since then, the Yangshao Culture represented by the Yangshao site has become a "holy land" in the archaeological circle.

1921年，在河南渑池仰韶村遗址的发掘中，出土大批陶器、石器等文物，首次证实中国历史上曾经存在非常发达的新石器文化，从此揭开了考古学探索中国史前仰韶文化的恢宏序幕。

Yangshao Culture Museum. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

The Yangshao Culture is the longest-lasting and most widely influential type of prehistoric culture in China. Related heritage sites have been found in 10 provincial-level administrative regions, especially in Henan, Shaanxi and Shanxi. Dating back 4,700 to 7,000 years, the Yangshao Culture period played a substantial role in the development of Chinese Neolithic culture, thus known as the Yangshao Age. Today, it has become a benchmark for archaeologists to date other prehistoric cultures because of its influence.

仰韶文化是中国分布地域最广的史前文化，共涉及河南、陕西、山西等10个省区，遗址数量众多。仰韶文化是中国延续时间最长的考古学文化，年代跨度约距今7000至4700年，它代表了中国新石器文化一个非常重要的发展阶段，被称为“仰韶时代”。仰韶文化是我们认识、定位周边其他史前文化年代的比照标尺，也是中国史前影响最深远的主干性文化。

Some pottery wares unearthed at the Yangshao site. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

The discovery of the Yangshao Culture at the site in 1921 marks the birth of modern archaeology in China. With generations of efforts, the system of Chinese archaeology has been established, the chronology of Chinese prehistory has been made clear and the reliable evidence to China's million-year human history, 10,000-year cultural inheritance and over 5,000-year-oldcivilization has been found. Accordingly, the origin and development of Chinese civilization have been confirmed.

以1921年渑池仰韶村遗址发掘为开端，现代考古学在中国应运而生，几代考古学者孜孜以求、薪火相传，建立起中国考古学的体系，构建起史前考古的时空框架，揭示出中国百万年人类史、一万年文化史、五千多年文明史延续无断的文化谱系，实证了中华文明起源和发展的脉络。