Towards Civilization③|Miaodigou witnessed the prosperity of Yangshao Culture

Source：dahe.cn Published：2022-11-21 18:24

"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 3rd episode of the series: Miaodigou witnessed the prosperity of Yangshao culture.

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。今日推出第三期：《仰韶文化繁荣期的“文明之花”——庙底沟遗址》。

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Located in the north of Hanzhuang, a village 3 kilometers southwest of Sanmenxia city, Central China's Henan province, the Neolithic site of Miaodigou covers an area of about 360 thousand square meters. First discovered by An Zhimin (a famous archaeologist in China) in 1953, the Miaodigou site has been excavated twice. The discovery of the Miaodigou site, where the famous Miaodigou Culture was fostered, is a major breakthrough in China's Neolithic archaeology. Greatly enriching the connotation of China's first archaeological culture -- Yangshao Culture (around 4,700 to 7,000 BC), the Miaodigou Culture is further divided into two stages: Stage I, widely known as the Yangshao Culture · Miaodigou Type, and Stage II, a transitional phase between the Yangshao Culture and the later Longshan Culture (some 4,000 years ago). By clarifying the relationship between the Yangshao Culture and the Longshan Culture, the Miaodigou site plays a significant role in Chinese archaeology and helps to prove that Chinese civilization is heritance of generations, not cultural import from the West.

庙底沟遗址位于河南省三门峡市西南3公里处的韩庄村北，总面积约36万平方米，1953年由著名考古学家安志敏首次发现，先后进行过两次重大考古发掘。庙底沟遗址的发现与发掘，是新石器时代考古领域的重大突破。它不仅命名了“庙底沟类型”和“庙底沟二期文化”两个文化类型，极大地丰富了仰韶文化，而且把仰韶和龙山两个时期的文化完整地连接起来，解决了仰韶与龙山的年代早晚及源流关系问题，第一次有力地证明了中华民族历史的传承有序和中华文明的源远流长，驳斥了西方学者“中国文化西来说”的论断，在考古学上具有十分重要的意义。

Miaodigou Museum in Sanmenxia. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

In 2001, the Miaodigou site was selected into the 5th batch of key historical and cultural sites under national-level protection and included on the list of China's top 100 archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Besides, it was also listed among China's top 100 archaeological discoveries in the past century in 2021.

2001年庙底沟遗址被国务院公布为第五批“全国重点文物保护单位”，后又被评为“中国20世纪百项考古大发现”之一。2021年，庙底沟遗址入选全国“百年百大考古发现”。（编译/赵汉青播音/杨佳欣视频/何蒙贺审校/陈行洁）

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