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A Glimpse of Ancient Capital Ruins in Luoyang②|Yanshi Shang Dynasty Capital Ruins: A Boundary Mark Between Xia and Shang Dynasties
Source：dahe.cn
Published：2023-04-30 12:06
Editor's note: Luoyang city in Central China's Henan province is an important birthplace of Chinese civilization, serving as a capital for more than 1,500 years in Chinese history. Along the Luohe River on the Yiluo Plain, a core area of Luoyang Basin, are located 5 ancient city ruins, namely Yanshi Shang Dynasty Capital Ruins, Erlitou Ruins, Capital Ruins of Dynasties of Eastern Han, Former Wei, Western Jin and Later Wei, Capital Ruins from Sui to Tang Dynasties, and Capital Ruins of Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Such a dense distribution of capital ruins is rarely seen in the world. At present, Luoyang is accelerating protection of major ruins and construction of "Five Major Capital Ruins Museum Cluster". Starting on April 29, we are launching 5 bilingual video stories about the ruins mentioned above under the theme of "A Glimpse of Ancient Capital Ruins in Luoyang" to help you know more about Luoyang, Henan and China. Here is the second story of the series: Yanshi Shang Dynasty Capital Ruins: A Boundary Mark Between Xia and Shang Dynasties.
编者按：作为华夏文明的重要发源地，洛阳拥有1500多年建都史。在洛阳盆地腹心的伊洛平原上，沿洛河一线从东到西排列着偃师商城遗址、二里头遗址、汉魏洛阳城遗址、隋唐洛阳城遗址和东周王城遗址“五大都城遗址”，如此密集的都城分布举世罕见。目前，洛阳正加快推进大遗址保护和“五大都城遗址博物馆群”建设。4月29日起，大河网推出“走进洛阳大遗址”5期双语特别报道，聚焦洛阳“五大都城遗址”，以双语短视频的形式，向外讲好古都洛阳故事，让更多外国友人在行走河南中了解历史、读懂中国。今日推出第2期：《这处3600多年前的遗址，竟是夏商界标？》。
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The only well-preserved capital site of the Shang Dynasty (1,600-1,046 BC) is located in Yanshi district of Luoyang city, Henan province, which is divided into three parts (a large city, a small city and an imperial city). Its discovery provides significant evidence to mark the boundary between the dynasties of Xia (2,070-1,600 BC) and Shang. The cultural relics unearthed at the site, including pottery wares, jade articles, tools made of stone, bone or clams, as well as primitive "porcelain" or proto-porcelain, provide valuable materials for restoring the truth of early Chinese history.
偃师商城遗址位于偃师尸乡沟一带，是中国唯一一处保留下来的未遭破坏的商代都城遗址。它有三重城垣，由外到内分别为大城、小城和宫城，它的发现为夏文化和商文化的分界提供了重要实物证据。遗址内出土了包括陶器、玉器、石器、骨器、蚌器和原始瓷器在内的丰富文化遗存，为复原中国早期历史提供了宝贵实物资料。
Capital site of the Shang Dynasty in Yanshi district of Luoyang city. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]
Besides, dating back to some 3,600 years ago, it is also the earliest one discovered so far among all the capital sites of the early Shang Dynasty, which is significant to the study of the Shang capitals. The Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project commissioned by China in 1996 to determine with accuracy the location and time frame of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties regards it as the boundary mark between the Xia and Shang dynasties. In 2001, it was listed among China's top 100 archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.
距今3600多年前的偃师商城遗址是迄今为止所发现的我国商代早期城址中年代最早、保存最好、便于全面进行考古科学研究工作的一座帝都。夏商周断代工程将偃师商城遗址作为夏商王朝分界的界标。2001 年偃师商城被评为中国 20 世纪百项考古大发现之一。
Capital site of the Shang Dynasty in Yanshi district of Luoyang city. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]
Most archaeologists believe that this site was Xibo, the first capital of the Shang Dynasty established after Tang (first king of the Shang) destroying the Xia. The capital was carefully planned based on the city construction experience since the late Yangshao Culture period dating back some 4,700 to 7,000 years ago. It was a pioneer in China's capital construction history of over 3,000 years and a link between the past and the future.
偃师商城遗址是商汤灭夏后建立的早商都邑性质的城址，为商王朝建立的界标，对殷商历史研究具有重大意义。多数考古专家认为偃师商城即古文献中所谓的“西亳”。偃师商城周密规划，选址得当、主次分明、布局合理，总结了中国自仰韶文化晚期开始造城的经验，开创了其后三千多年建造都城的先河，在中国都城建设史、建筑史上起着承前启后的作用。
Capital site of the Shang Dynasty in Yanshi district of Luoyang city. [Photo provided to dahe.cn]
It is worth noting that this site presents the entire capital layout, palace and city construction of the early Shang Dynasty. Its imperial city is not only among the earliest ones known so far, but the only one of the Xia, Shang and Zhou (1,046-256 BC) period that has been excavated and can be used, together with the palace buildings, as valuable materials for comprehensive archaeological study of the capitals of the early China, especially the imperial city system and the palace layout.
偃师商城遗址是全面、完整展示早商城市与宫殿型制、古代城市建设技术成就的宝贵实存。偃师商城内的宫城不但是中国迄今所知年代最早的宫城之一，也是中国夏商周三代唯一被考古全面发掘出的可供全面研究的宫城遗址。宫城及其内部的宫殿建筑是研究中国早期帝王都城，尤其是宫城制度、宫殿建筑布局的珍贵实物资料。（编译/赵汉青 杨佳欣 视频/何蒙贺 审校/丁岚）
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Editor：Zhao Hanqing