Archaeological Interpretation of the Continuity of Chinese Civilization over Five Thousand Years

Chinese civilization has unique characteristics in the world civilization history. Its most prominent characteristic is the continuity of the “5,000-year” civilization. Over 5,000 years ago, different civilizations appeared in different regions of China and the civilizations mainly included their different early-stage theocracy and reign modes. Among these civilizations, the civilization that was handed on from generation to generation was the states with a reign mode that originated in the Longshan culture of Central China and its successors such as the Xia Dynasty, the Shang Dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty, the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty. This can be illustrated by the 5,000-year continuous inheritance of the country, people, and territory of China, proved by the 5,000-year inheritance and development of capitals, royal tombs, ritual and ceremonial buildings and vessels, and characters as the national culture (or major tradition) and resurrected by the capital’s centralization,“OneGate Three-Passage” pattern,“centralization of the main hall of the court” and the“Left Ancestral Temple and Right Altar” pattern, and the central axis of the capital, the four doors on four sides of the capital and court, etc. as the materialized forms of the core ideas of center and moderation. These materialized forms of the unbroken civilization became more and more in the past 5,000 years, which indicates that the ideas of center and moderation became stronger and stronger and were constantly deepened. The ideological roots of the 5,000-year unbroken Chinese civilization are the ideas of center and moderation, which are the ideological basis for the state identity and the core value of the Chinese national history.     

A Comparative Study on Economies of Harappa and Erlitou Sites

Harappa and Erlitou are representative sites of the Indus and early Chinese civilizations respectively. With different geographical environments, the two regions took different paths to civilization. The Indus civilization established early“city-states” based on regional groups. Under the influence of the loose power structure of the“city-states,” the Harappan culture formed an open economic system that was market-oriented. Foreign trade was prosperous and played an important role in its economy. The early Chinese civilization established a wide-area kingship state. Under the influence of the pyramidal power structure, the economic system of the Erlitou culture was dominated by the state and served the ruling class. Foreign trade accounted for a low proportion of its economy. Differences between the two sites are the epitome of those between the development patterns of the two early civilizations and have important research value.     

Center and periphery: The expansion and metamorphosis of Han culture—A case study of stone carvings in No. 1 Mahao cave tomb,Leshan, Sichuan Province,China

The cave reliefs of Mahao in Leshan City, Sichuan Province, have been world-famous for containing an early Buddhist statue. Yet, little attention has been paid to the co-existent stone reliefs sharing the tomb cave and the cultural significance thereof. Through the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC–220 AD), the ancient Ba and Shu civilizations in what is Sichuan today gradually merged into the Chinese civilization, of which the Han civilization is the main body, on the one hand, the Han civilization exerted a strong influence on its south-western counterparts, as is revealed by the stone reliefs in the tomb cave; on the other hand, the south-western region was apparently assimilated into the Chinese civilization while concurrently absorbing elements of even farther civilizations (e.g., those in Central and South Asia). The early image of Buddha appeared against a wide cultural background.     

Center and periphery: The expansion and metamorphosis of Han culture

The cave reliefs of Mahao in Leshan City, Sichuan Province, have been world-famous for containing an early Buddhist statue. Yet, little attention has been paid to the co-existent stone reliefs sharing the tomb cave and the cultural significance thereof. Through the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC-220 AD), the ancient Ba and Shu civilizations in what is Sichuan today gradually merged into the Chinese civilization, of which the Han civilization is the main body, on the one hand, the Han civilization exerted a strong influence on its south-western counterparts, as is revealed by the stone reliefs in the tomb cave; on the other hand, the south-western region was apparently assimilated into the Chinese civilization while concurrently absorbing elements of even farther civilizations (e.g., those in Central and South Asia). The early image of Buddha appeared against a wide cultural background.     

胡适关于中国近代文化转型的几个重要观念

在令大多数中国人长期困惑的中西文化的关系问题上,胡适化与看来同自己的固有文化大不相同的现代世界新文化泰然相处,并怎样以最有效的方式吸收现代的新文化,使它能同我们的固有文化相一致、相协调和继续发展.胡适指出,各民族的文化本质上是有同一性的,是可以互相借鉴的.因此,不存在所谓东方文化是精神的,西方文化是物质的这种大分别.胡适又指出,历来各民族的文化交流的常态都是自由选择,各取所需.胡适还强调指出,任何文化都有其自身的"根本保守性",也就是所谓"文化本位".这个"文化本位"实际上就是那无数无数的人民.基于这样的认识,就能够以一种开放的文化观念来处理中国文化与世界新文化的关系,化解种种困惑,较好地解决近代文化转型中遇到的各种问题.     

中国新石器时代的人地关系及其特点

地理环境对中国新石器时代文化的影响作用表现为对文化发展历程的影响、对文化发展速度的影响、对文化特征的影响、对文化格局的影响、对中华文明早期发生发展的影响等5个方面,中国新石器时代先民对于自然环境的利用与改造体现在农业生产活动的开展、采集渔猎经济的存在、家畜饲养业的发展、对居住地的选择、因地制宜的居宅建筑、生产生活用具的制造、对原有生态系统的干预等7个方面。新石器时代的人地关系具有人对地依赖性强、地对人制约严格、相互作用极为直接等特点。     

长江中游文明进程的阶段与特点简论

本将长江中游的新石器化置于全国新石器时代的总体背景下,侧重于比较研究的视角,选取了五个方面的问题——聚落与建筑,栽培稻起源和史前稻作农业,白陶和彩陶,普用的巫物陶偶,高一级的灵物玉雕人首和动物,列举实证,以阐述长江中游新石器时代若干较显的成就和特色鲜明的化现象。     

资源,神权与文明的兴衰

根据当代流行的马克思主义考古学分析观念,上层建筑和经济基础都会对复杂社会的演进或衰亡起重要的作用。本文尝试从资源和神权这两个概念来探讨早期文明兴衰的动力,并讨论良渚文化消失和中国文明演进地域差异的原因。     

论气候变迁与中原文明中心地位的形成

新石器时代晚期到夏商时期是中国古代文明形成的关键时期,大体经历了由无中心向以中原为中心转变的"多源一统"过程.究其原因当有多种,气候变化是其中的一个重要方面.由于各地区的地理、环境和气候特点的不同,它们对气候变化的反应也不尽相同.干旱和半干旱地区在气候暖湿的时期发展较快,而湿润地区则在气候冷干的时期适宜发展.位于干旱地区的文明在长期冷干的气候条件下衰落了,位于湿润地区的文明在极端暖湿的气候时期中断了,唯有中原地区位于半干旱半湿润地区,适应极端气候的能力较强,不仅在暖湿时期发展较快,而且在冷干时期仍能持续发展,最终成为全国文明的中心.     

交融与创生：西欧文明的三个来源

人类文明的多样性,不仅呈现在当代,同样呈现在过去的历史长河里,因此探究历史上不同文明的特殊性非常重要。西欧文明始于公元5世纪,初步成型于11—15世纪,源于古代日耳曼传统、古典希腊罗马文明和基督教不同质的文化。日耳曼人的马尔克村社制度是欧洲文明的胚胎;古典文明,尤其罗马法促使中世纪个人权利概念逐渐形成并进入公法领域,成为法治社会的广泛基础;基督教的政治哲学及政治斗争结束了神圣王权时代,有助于建构起上层政治框架。经过几个世纪的发展,在一定社会条件下,三要素熔为一炉。逐渐生成西欧文明的雏形。很明显,西欧文明是次生的、混合的文明,其创生过程也是不同文明的融合和嬗变过程;16世纪后衍生为资本主义文明,后者表现了不凡的创造力,冲击了整个人类社会,同时也显现了与生俱来的局限性。     

The Historical Tradition and Mission of Chinese Archaeology

Chinese President Xi Jinping, gave an important speech describing the great achievements and significance of Chinese archaeology, pointing out the way forward for the development of Chinese archaeology in the new era. By reviewing the century-long history of Chinese archaeology, its historical tradition and the mission of the times are distinctive. Since 1949, under the guidance of archaeological culture theory and regional systems and cultural types theory, Chinese archaeology has made a series of significant achievements and taken up the mission of the times in inheriting historical traditions and exploring major issues including the origins of Chinese civilization. The current development of Chinese archaeology should further the historical tradition of Chinese archaeology under the guidance of the spirit of Xi Jinping’s speech. From a longitudinal perspective, Chinese archaeology should strengthen the research on the origin of Chinese civilization and its characteristics, development trajectory, major landmark achievements, and the way of civilization inheritance after its formation, especially to strengthen the exploration of how the“5,000-year continuous unity” was formed after the unification of the Qin and Han dynasties. From a horizontal perspective, with the Belt and Road Initiative as the main thread, we should continue to strengthen archaeological research on cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, advocate mutual appreciation of civilizations, tell the Chinese story well, and contribute Chinese historical wisdom and experience to the world. On the whole, we should strengthen the theoretical construction and ability training of archaeology, strive to build Chinese archaeology with salient Chinese features, style, and ethos, and realize the historical mission of the new era of the Centennial“Chinese Dream.”     

Southwest Arabia During the Holocene: Recent Archaeological Developments

Recent fieldwork has considerably increased our knowledge of early Holocene settlement in Southwest Arabia. Neolithic settlement occurred within an environmental context of increased monsoonal moisture that continued during the mid-Holocene. A now well-attested Bronze Age exemplified by village- and town-scale settlements occupied by sedentary farmers developed toward the end of the mid-Holocene moist interval. The high plateau of Yemen was an early focus for the development of Bronze Age complex society, the economy of which relied upon terraced rain-fed and runoff agriculture. On the fringes of the Arabian desert, the precursors of the Sabaean literate civilization have been traced back to between 3600 and 2800 B.P., and even earlier, so that a virtually continuous archaeological record can now be described for parts of Yemen. In contrast to the highlands these societies relied upon food production from large-scale irrigation systems dependent upon capricious wadi floods. Bronze Age settlement, while showing some links with the southern Levant, now shows equal or stronger linkages with the Horn of Africa across the Red Sea. Although some regions of Yemen show breaks in occupation, others show continuity into the Sabaean period when a series of major towns grew up in response to the incense trade with the north. It is now clear that these civilizations grew up on the foundations of earlier Bronze Age complex societies.     

关于边疆跨国民族地缘冲突的动因与和平跨居条件的思索

本首先重点归纳了处在独立运动中的、前社会主义国家中的和西方现代明国家中的三类国际民族地缘冲突,并取典型的个案进行了研究,论证了中国跨国民族能和平跨居与其主流明底蕴的关系,指出发展跨国民族和平跨居必须在不同明碰撞中吸收一切人类明之长,如美国的民族自然淡化政策,中越边境的民间主导型跨国民族自由交往模式等;同时必须争取地缘和平与明共存,建立综合安全体系,特别是“化安全保障”,遏制政治亚化的变异,以维护世界和平与国家稳定。     

法老时代埃及王权的演进

法老王权在整个古代世界文明中是极具特色的,它几乎成为古埃及文明的象征;同时,它也与埃及国家的兴起、强大、顶峰、分裂和埃及文明的形成、发展、昌盛、衰落息息相关。从法老王权的演进可以看到整个古埃及文明的行进脉络。     

The challenge of the spaceship: Arthur C. Clarke and the history of the future, 1930–1970

Arthur C. Clarke’s 1946 essay on ‘The Challenge of the Spaceship’ was one of the founding manifestoes of the Space Age, and helped to establish him as the West’s leading techno-prophet. Restating his ideas in subsequent factual and fictional works, Clarke successfully propagated the belief that man’s destiny lay in space and that the process was already underway. On the surface Clarke’s oeuvre offers a classic astrofuturist model of progress as technology-driven, but on closer examination it also incorporates a more pessimistic, historically based strand of philosophy, British rather than American. This essay traces the genesis of Clarke’s early work and the influence upon him of the historian Arnold J. Toynbee and the moral philosophers Olaf Stapledon and C.S. Lewis. Toynbee was essentially a Christian pessimist who believed that western civilization was on the way out; his long historical perspectives were an important source of inspiration for Clarke, leading him to a cyclical rather than a simply progressive model of history which contemplated both the beginning and the end of civilizations. The concerns of Stapledon and Lewis with grand narratives of decline and redemption were also influences on Clarke. All this needs to be understood in relation to both the European experience of World War I and to the coming of the atomic bomb, the latter a profound influence on Clarke’s generation. Such perspectives gave European astroculture a more modulated vision of the human future in space than the technologically based astrofuturism which dominated in the USA.     

文明“早熟”与中国古代亲属称谓的泛化

中国古代的亲属称谓不仅标识特定的血缘与姻亲关系,同时以多种途径泛化并用于政治及社会领域。泛化的亲属称谓加强了非亲属成员或组织之间的联系,同时在非亲属成员或组织之间构建了等差有序的责权规范和行为准则。泛化的亲属称谓,旨在凭借血缘组织的力量强化政治控制和社会交往,体现了古人以“循名责实”的方式推进政治、社会关系“血缘化”的尝试和结果。在不同文明或民族中,亲属称谓泛化现象的程度和面貌不尽相同,这与血缘组织在该文明或民族在国家产生过程中扮演的角色,尤其是与血缘组织在国家时代政治生活中的地位高低相关。中国古代国家产生的独特方式所导致的文明“早熟”,决定了亲属称谓泛化现象在国家时代具有普遍性和典型性。     

论东方文化对近代科学的影响

近代科学不是西方文明独有的产物,而是不同文明特别是东西方文明间相互融合、共同创造的成果。在历史上,古代希腊科学没能直接发展成近代科学,而东方文化对西方科学中过度的理性主义传统却起到了纠偏、涵化和升华的作用,对其疏离价值、缺少人文关怀的“先天不足”作了适当的“培补”和“修复”。这些不仅体现在东方科学文化所给予的大量科学思想启迪中,而且表现在西方近代科学研究方法的嬗变中。没有东方文化的这种影响,近代科学（革命）是不可能发生的。     

Revisiting Floods and Civilization in North-western Indian Subcontinent During 4th to Mid-2nd Millennium B.C. in Archaeological Perspective

Indus civilization or Harappan civilization, one of the oldest civilizations of the world, occupied a region that is an active flood plain. In the same region, even today floods are a major problem which every year kill hundreds and displace millions, rendering them homeless. In this paper, we have taken up the interesting task of how Harappans faced floods, and more importantly methods and strategies they developed to counter the effect of these floods as well as the drain they had on their might and economy. This prospect explores some new themes of Harappan historiography which will be vital for a better understanding of this civilization in addition to imparting lessons for the present and future generations, as for as management of the floods is concerned.     

试析上古时期的历史记忆与历史记载

上古时期口耳相传的历史记忆是后世历史记载的源头.在相关的历史记载中还可以看到其某些影子.出现于早期历史记忆中的"人"多为"英雄"或"圣人",而非普通的人.逐渐剥落掉神的身影,而呈现出真正的"人"面貌,已经是野蛮与文明之际的事情.但是即使在这个时期,人--神之间仍然有着千丝万缕的联系.历史记忆是古代文明出现上升的阶梯.     

The Clash of Epochs: Traditional,Modern, Postmodern,and Evolutionity

Several authors have written about the clash of civilizations and have described it as the main form of conflict in today’s world. My thesis is that the clash of epochs is far more fundamental. It is the hitherto insufficiently noted ground on which different forms of conflict can take place. The clash of epochs, in the form of a conflict among traditional society, modernity, and postmodernity, has led the West to be internally torn apart and increasingly incapable of withstanding new emerging challenges. I argue that to reverse this trend, the Western world has to reconstruct itself again as a civilization. It needs to rediscover the value of its classical moral and intellectual traditions. This should be not merely a return to the past but a creative return that will initiate evolutionity—a new evolutionary epoch, which would replace modernity and postmodernity.