Towards Civilization⑧|Shang Dynasty City Ruins in Zhengzhou, Henan: A core site for tracing the origins of Chinese civilization

Source：dahe.cn Published：2022-12-31 18:57

"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 8th episode of the series: Shang Dynasty City Ruins in Zhengzhou, Henan: A core site for tracing the origins of Chinese civilization.

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。今日推出第八期：《中华文明探源工程的基点——郑州商城遗址》。

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Located in the downtown area of Zhengzhou, Henan, is the Shang Dynasty City Ruins, which can date back to some 3,600 years ago. According to the Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project, it used to be the capital city as well as the political, economic, cultural and military center in early Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). Shang Dynasty City Ruins in Zhengzhou has been listed among both China's top 100 archaeological discoveries of the 20th century in 2001 and China's top 100 archaeological discoveries of the past century in 2021.

郑州商代都城遗址位于郑州城市中心区，城池始建距今约3600年。根据夏商周断代工程研究成果表明，郑州商城是商王朝的前期都邑所在地，是商王朝前期的政治、经济、文化和军事中心。郑州商代都城遗址被评为中国二十世纪100项考古大发现之一； 2021年被评为中国“百年百大考古发现”之一。

Museum of Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty City Ruins. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty City Ruins represents the early Shang culture, known as the Erligang Culture. What has been identified here is a capital city in early Shang Dynasty with the largest scale and the highest standard, exhibiting diverse cultural styles. Having a typical three-level city layout with a palace city, an inner city (about 3 million square meters) and an outer city (13 square kilometers), the capital was carefully planned and further divided into different areas for palaces, handicraft workshops, housing, graveyards and religious activities. A large number of cultural relics unearthed here basically restores the entire early Shang culture. Among them, the ruins of workshops for making copper, pottery and bone objects, the foundations of architectures, the remains of infrastructure, oracle bones, primitive "porcelain" or proto-porcelain, and in particular a large number of royal bronze wares, exhibit collectively the development level of the early Shang civilization, and also represent the highest development level of the early Chinese civilization at this stage.

郑州商城是商王朝早期王都，其代表的二里岗文化是早期商文化。郑州商城遗址是商王朝早期规模最大、规格最高的王都，文化面貌呈现出四方来聚的多元风格。郑州商城遗址包括宫殿区、手工业作坊区、居民区、墓葬区、宗教活动遗迹，城市布局有明显规划。遗址的布局由内至外分为宫城、内城和外城，内城约300万平方米、外城面积约13平方公里，是典型的三重城垣结构。郑州商城遗址出土了大量的遗迹、遗物，基本反映出早商文明的完整形态。其中冶铜、制陶、制骨作坊遗址，城市建筑基址、城市基础设施遗存，习刻甲骨和原始瓷器，尤其是大量的王室青铜重器，集中展示了早商文明的发展高度，代表了中国早期文明在这一阶段的最高发展水平。

Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty City Ruins. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]

The discovery of Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty City Ruins provided the source for the splendid late Shang culture represented by the Yin Ruins, and has become a core site for exploring the culture of the Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BC) as well as tracing the origins of Chinese civilization. Besides, it is also of great significance for studying the history of the early Shang Dynasty, the bronze civilization of early China, the formation and development of ancient Chinese cities, and the progress of civilization.

郑州商城遗址的发现为灿烂的晚商殷墟文明找到了源头，成为探索夏文化的重要基点，也是中华文明探源工程的重要基点，对于认识商代前期历史、中国早期青铜文明、中国古代城市的形成发展、中华文明的起源及文明进程的深入研究等均具有重要的意义。（编译/赵汉青播音/杨佳欣视频/何蒙贺审校/李雪）

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