After decades of hard exploration in archaeological work, especially the new excavations and research on the Yanshi Erlitou Site, Zhengzhou Shang City Site, and Yanshi Shang City Site since the launch of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dating Project in 1996, academic The world has basically gained knowledge on the following important issues:
1. The Erlitou culture, represented by the remains from the first, second, third and fourth phases of the Erlitou site in Yanshi, is the Xia culture.
2． A type of remains distributed in northern Henan and southern Hebei, represented by the Xiaqiyuan ruins in Cixian County, Hebei Province, is a pre-Shang culture that was basically at the same time as the Xia culture.
3． The Erligang culture represented by the Erligang site in Zhengzhou is an early Shang culture. Zhengzhou Shang City and Yanshi Shang City are basically at the same time or slightly successive, and they are both early Shang capital sites. The initial construction of the palace area of ??Zhengzhou Mall and the small town of Yanshi Mall can be used as the boundary between Xia and Shang.
Based on the above conclusion, by comparing the relationship between Erlitou Culture, Xiaqiyuan Culture, and Erligang Culture, we can see that: Erlitou Culture, as a Xia culture, is mainly distributed in western Henan and southern Shanxi. In this area, the Xiaqiyuan Culture, as a pre-Shang culture, is mainly distributed in the northern Henan and southern Hebei regions. The two are separated from the east and west by the Qinhe River. Although there are cultural exchanges, their appearances are basically different. They are two independent archaeological groups. Learn culture.
Although the Xiaqiyuan culture, which is a pre-Shang culture, and the Erligang culture, which is an early Shang culture, have a certain inherent cultural inheritance relationship, for example, they both use Ge and Zhen as the main cooking utensils, reflecting the The basic living customs have not changed. But overall, the cultural components between the two have undergone significant changes. Especially in the area of ??cultural distribution, the Erligang Culture has greatly exceeded the distribution range of the Xiaqiyuan Culture, covering a wider area including the Xiaqiyuan Culture and the Erlitou Culture. There should be cultural succession between the two. Relationships between different archaeological cultures.
As for the Erlitou Culture as a Xia culture and the Erligang Culture as an early Shang culture, the layers of the two have been found in many locations, including the palace area of ??Zhengzhou Shang City. The overlapping relationship shows that the two are closely connected in time, morning and night. In terms of cultural connotation, the Erligang Early Shang Culture did indeed receive advanced factors such as bronze casting and jade cutting technology from the Erlitou Xia Culture, but the overall appearance is quite different. It is difficult to think that the Erligang Early Shang Culture is the second generation of the Erlitou Xia Culture. The natural continuation of Litou Xia culture.
Obviously, whether it is from the early Shang culture in Xiaqiyuan to the early Shang culture in Erligang, or from the Xia culture in Erlitou to the early Shang culture in Erligang, there has been a cultural interruption and the emergence of cultural A mutation in nature. The reason for the rapid decline of Xia culture and the rapid expansion of pre-Shang culture into early Shang culture and its replacement by Xia culture can only be the large-scale wars that achieved the change of Xia and Shang dynasties. It was the fierce war from the "Eleventh Expedition" started by Tang Dynasty to the overthrow of Xia Jie that caused such an unprecedented cultural mutation. The Erlitou site is the capital of Xia Jie, the last king of the Xia Dynasty. Yanshi Shangcheng is one of the earliest shopping malls established after Tang Dynasty destroyed Xia. They are only more than ten miles apart. The two were prosperous and then destroyed, reflecting one of the cultural changes. Violent and impressive. The change of political power in Shang and Zhou Dynasty, like the change of political power in Xia and Shang Dynasty, was also achieved through large-scale war. However, the analysis of its impact on archaeological cultural changes is not as strong as the impact of the Xia and Shang regime changes on archaeological cultural changes.
The Yin Ruins in Xiaotun, Anyang, Henan, is the site of the capital city of the late Shang Dynasty, which "Pangeng moved to Yin until the destruction of Zhou in 273 years". More than 70 years of research have been carried out since 1928. After years of archaeological work, its cultural features have long been known to everyone. What has aroused everyone's attention is that no remains of the early Western Zhou Dynasty have been found in the Yin Ruins so far. Some people believe that the absolute age of the later remains of the fourth phase of the Yinxu Culture may have entered the Western Zhou Dynasty. If this is indeed the case, it means that King Wu destroyed the Shang Dynasty and the capital of Shang was not destroyed. According to "Historical Records of Yin Benji", King Wu "released the prisoner of Jizi, sealed the tomb of Bigan, and granted the title of King Zhou to Wu Genglu." , to continue the sacrifices of Yin Dynasty" is indeed true. Even after the death of King Wu and Wu Geng's rebellion was punished, King Cheng only chopped off Wu Geng's head and appointed Wei Ziqi as the successor to the Yin Dynasty in Song Dynasty. He did not "sweep the holes and plow the court" in the Shang capital, nor did he send Zhou armed forces to completely occupy it. This should be the fundamental reason why no remains of the early Western Zhou people have been found within the Yin Ruins.
In other places, except for the Jin Dynasty established by Shu Yu, the excavation of the Yiqu Village site in Tianma proves that Jin culture is an integral part of the Western Zhou culture. The Eastern Capital Chengzhou built by King Cheng in Luoyang , Beijing Fangshan Yandu was granted to Yan by Duke Zhao, Qi County Weidu was granted by Uncle Kang, Xingtai and Xingdu were granted by the son of Duke Zhou, etc., but it was a different situation, which had some similarities with the Yin Ruins. Archaeological excavation data show that although elements representing typical Zhou rituals and customs can be discerned in the discovered noble cemeteries, elements representing merchant customs or customs inherited from the Shang Dynasty dominate the residences and handicraft workshop sites. Due to local indigenous factors, the Zongzhou culture of the Western Zhou Dynasty, which represented the Zhou people, was not dominant everywhere in these feudal states like the early Shang culture, which represented merchants after the Shang Dynasty destroyed the Xia, and completely rejected the Xia culture. Cultural factors and other indigenous cultural factors are located in the same area and do not seem to occupy a particularly prominent position. How did this cultural pattern form? I think, on the one hand, it may be that the development level of Zhou culture before the destruction of Shang was far lower than the development level of Shang culture, but more importantly, I am afraid that after the destruction of Shang, the Zhou people did not directly direct the center of rule It is related to the fact that it was built in the hinterland of the Yin people.
The changes in the Xia, Shang and Shang dynasties, or the Shang and Zhou dynasties, were both achieved through foreign invasions and large-scale wars. However, after the establishment of the regime, different governance strategies were implemented, which had different impacts on the changes in archaeological culture. This is worth detailing. Playfully.
The changes in the Xia and Shang dynasties and the Shang and Zhou dynasties caused by Tang's defeat of Jie and King Wu's defeat of Zhou had different impacts on archaeological culture. This is important for our understanding of the relationship between the establishment of the Xia Dynasty and the changes in archaeological culture. will be very helpful.
The remains of the first, second, third and fourth phases of the Erlitou Culture are Xia Culture. The Erlitou site may be the ruins of the capital of Xia Jie, which has now become the common knowledge of most people in the academic world. However, there is still debate in academic circles as to whether the Erlitou Phase 1 culture is the earliest Xia culture. In the past, I have proposed that the Erlitou culture was the Xia culture formed after "Hou Yi replaced the Xia" and "Shaokang Zhongxing". The remains of the late Longshan culture in Henan, represented by Linru Meishan Phase II, may be the early Xia culture. Now reexamined, this view seems to still have some truth.
The layered relationship of archaeological discoveries proves that the remains of the Erlitou Phase I are often superimposed on the remains of the Longshan Culture in Henan. The two are closely connected in time, and there cannot be any missing links in between. But comparing their cultural features, there are obvious differences. Many people have noticed this, and we have specific arguments in the article. The fact is that there was a cultural interruption and mutation from the Longshan Culture in Henan to the Erlitou Culture. Erlitou culture is not a natural continuation of Henan Longshan culture, and Henan Longshan culture is not the entire source of Erlitou culture.
There may be many reasons for this cultural mutation phenomenon in the evolution of archaeological culture. However, judging from the impact of the changes in the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties on the changes in archaeological culture, I am afraid that only This can only happen with major social changes such as large-scale wars and tribal migrations. And as we have pointed out before, according to historical records such as "Historical Records of Xia Benji", the establishment of the Xia Dynasty was an inevitable result of the natural development of social history. It was the transition of the position of the leader of the tribal alliance from the abdication system to the son-passing system. Even if it had happened There have been conflicts and struggles, but they are also matters within the clan, and there have been no large-scale foreign invasions or wars. Therefore, from this perspective, the cultural mutation that occurred between the Longshan Culture in Henan and the Erlitou Culture will not be the result of the establishment of the Xia Dynasty. What is more likely is that what we once argued was caused by the most significant political event in the history of the early Xia, "Hou Yi replaced the Xia", and the Erlitou culture was not the earliest Xia culture.
It is denied that the Erlitou Culture is the early Xia Culture, and the only possibility is to look for it from the Longshan Culture in Henan. The Longshan Culture in Henan Province has been inherited from early to late times. According to the standards for classifying archaeological cultures, it is difficult for us to separate the Longshan Culture in Henan Province into two parts, such as distinguishing the Erlitou Xia Culture from the Erligang Early Shang Culture, the Shang Culture from the Western Zhou Culture, and the Xiaqiyuan Early Shang Culture. Like the early Shang culture in Erligang, the Shang culture can be divided into two different archaeological cultures. However, in the development process of Henan Longshan culture, many new things did continue to appear. The trend of settlement classification became more and more intense, metallurgy was gradually promoted, large-scale dignitary tombs and fortified cities continued to emerge. Every researcher strongly felt that the Longshan era was In a period of major social changes. Here we cannot ignore the discovery of Ganglongshan Castle in Wangcheng, Gaocheng Town, Dengfeng, among many new phenomena. This castle is indeed not considered large among the castles that appeared at the same time, but its geographical location is very important. Because this is the location of "Yu Ju Yangcheng" in the ancient books of the Pre-Qin Dynasty, and the site of Yangcheng City during the Warring States Period was discovered not far to the east. In the past, Mr. An Jinhuai initiated the idea of ??"Yu Du Yangcheng" in Wangchenggang Longshan Castle. Many people deny it because the city is too small and the era is too early. However, a careful study of the relevant literature records shows that they all say "Yu lived in Yangcheng", "Yu made his capital Yangcheng", "Yu avoided merchants and settled in Yangcheng", but nowhere does it say "Yu built Yangcheng". Therefore, we cannot rule out the possibility that Yangcheng already existed before Yu accepted Shun's Zen. If this kind of speculation is allowed, then it is not unreasonable to regard the remains from the late period of the ancient city of Wangchenggang as the earliest Xia culture. This inference may be more in line with the actual situation from the perspective of the relationship between the establishment of the Xia Dynasty and archaeological cultural changes.
Due to the inaccurate definition of Xia culture, when inferring what is Xia culture, the objects that researchers refer to will not be completely consistent. In the discussion of Xia culture, each school's conclusion cannot convince the other, and the differences in understanding are naturally difficult to eliminate. Due to the biased research focus, the center of debate among Xia culture researchers is mainly the Xia and He in the archaeological cultural sequence of the Yiluo region. business demarcation, thereby ignoring some basic issues that should have been discussed first.
The issue of Xia culture is an important topic in Chinese archeology. The number of scholars participating in the discussion and the number of published papers are unmatched by other archaeological research topics. However, behind this enthusiastic appearance, we cannot help but see that the current research on Xia culture has some problems to varying degrees in terms of basic concepts and definitions, theories and methods, and research angles and focuses.
Due to the inaccuracy of the definition of Xia culture, when inferring what is Xia culture, the objects that researchers refer to will not be completely consistent. It is inevitable that benevolent people have different opinions and wisdom. Due to the imprecision of research methods, in the discussion of Xia culture, The conclusions of each school cannot convince the other, and the differences in understanding are naturally difficult to eliminate; due to the biased research focus, the center of the debate among Xia culture researchers is mainly the division between Xia and Shang in the archaeological cultural sequence of the Yiluo region, thus ignoring Some basic issues should have been discussed first. In view of this, it is necessary for us to discuss some basic issues existing in the study of Xia culture in order to obtain a certain degree of consensus on understanding, which will facilitate the in-depth study of Xia culture issues in the future.