Chinese civilization is the primitive civilization in the eastern part of Eurasia. Since modern times, historians have gradually revealed the basic context of the development of China's ancient history through comprehensive research on archaeology, paleoanthropology, ancient philology and ethnology. According to the current data, human beings have been active in the vast areas of China at least 654.38+0 million years ago. For example, Wushan people in Chongqing, about 2 million years ago. Yuanmou man in Yunnan was about 6.5438+0.7 million years ago, and the human skull fossils found in Gongwangling, Lantian County, Shaanxi Province, and Yunxian County, Hubei Province were all close to or earlier than 6.5438+0 million years ago. Some sites discovered in recent years may also be close to 2 million years old. From the above-mentioned Yuanmou men in Yunnan and Lantian men in Shaanxi to Maba men in Shaoguan, Guangdong, and Ding Cun in Xiangfen, Shanxi, etc. These three stages constitute the primitive human period. According to archaeological research, the rice culture in China can be advanced to 65,438+0,000 years ago. People living today can hardly imagine the life style of their ancestors before 1000 years ago. After the development of Yangshao culture and Longshan culture, China civilization has experienced a process from origin to gradual formation, and the social complexity is more obvious. Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties gradually entered a highly developed class society.
2. The credibility of Chinese civilization
In the ancient literature of China, the period of the Yellow Emperor and Yan Di is regarded as the beginning of China's history, and the Xia Dynasty is regarded as the first dynasty. China civilization is considered to have a history of 5000 years. As a historical basis, it can be found in Sima Qian's Historical Records. However, the records of Huangdi, Yan Di and even Yao Shunyu in Historical Records belong to the category of ancient legends, and the records of Xia Dynasty are extremely brief, so it is difficult to comprehensively study the history at that time. Some scholars at home and abroad doubt whether China really has a history of 5,000 years of civilization, and some foreign scholars even doubt whether the Xia Dynasty really exists. To solve this problem and eliminate all kinds of doubts in academic circles, it is far from enough to rely solely on ancient documents. Over the past 50 years, China has made a series of remarkable achievements in archaeology, and a large number of important archaeological discoveries have provided an important material basis for us to study the long history of Chinese civilization.
3. Integrity of Chinese civilization
The formation of Chinese civilization is both pluralistic and integrative, that is, the so-called "pluralistic integration". After the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Chinese nation gradually formed, which not only refers to the countries established by various ethnic groups living in China, but also is the general name of 56 ethnic groups in China today. The mainstream of the Chinese nation is composed of many scattered and isolated ethnic units, which form "I have you in me and you have me in you" through contact, mixing, connection and integration. However, it is a pluralistic unity with its own characteristics. The evolution of Chinese civilization, first of all, is the integration of various civilizations, rather than mutual extinction. China has a vast territory, many ethnic groups and divided dialects. It takes cultural thoughts and cultural figures as a link, maintaining a diverse cultural pattern. After competing, colliding and merging with each other, the cultures of various regions finally formed a complete Chinese civilization.
The main reasons for the continuous integrity of Chinese civilization are as follows: firstly, the scale factor of Chinese civilization itself, that is, the vast geographical area and huge overall scale, has formed a force that is difficult to conquer and divide. Chinese civilization has formed a complete and interrelated cultural whole in politics, economy and culture. Other civilizations that once threatened Chinese civilization were eventually absorbed and assimilated by this huge cultural whole. Secondly, the cultural factors of Chinese civilization itself and the relationship based on blood play a great role in maintaining civilization. For example, the worship of the ancestor of the Chinese nation, Yanhuang, has a far-reaching impact, which has enabled Chinese civilization to maintain its integrity while diversifying. Mr. Dai Yi has analyzed various factors that have a great influence on China culture, including economic conditions, political structure, social structure, geographical environment, etc., all of which have an impact on the occurrence and development of China culture. China is an agricultural society, where the self-sufficient small-scale peasant economy has dominated for a long time and the commodity economy is underdeveloped. In such an agricultural society, the national character has both a hard-working and simple side and a stable and conservative side. Secondly, China's political system and structure for thousands of years have been feudal for a long time. It has a history of more than 2,000 years since the Qin Dynasty, which has left a deep imprint on the traditional culture of China. Third, China is a country where patriarchal clan system prevails. Clan consciousness and clan consciousness are very strong, and traditional culture is formed in such a social structure. Fourthly, the geographical environment has also had a great influence on China culture. China is located in the eastern part of the Asian continent, with oceans in the east and mountains and deserts in the northwest. In this geographical environment, an independent and complete system of Chinese civilization and culture has been formed.
4. Continuation of Chinese civilization
The four ancient civilizations of mankind all originated along rivers. Around 3500 BC, the ancient Egyptian civilization in the Nile valley, the Babylonian civilization between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, the ancient Indian civilization in the Indus and Ganges rivers, and the Chinese civilization in the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valley appeared all over the world. However, except for Chinese civilization, almost all these ancient civilizations have been interrupted in the history of their cultural development. Compared with the other three ancient civilizations, the origin of Chinese civilization is not the earliest, but it is the only civilization that has never been interrupted. In the course of thousands of years' development, although it has gone through hardships and storms, its cultural tradition has always been consistent and never stopped. Chinese civilization has the same roots and the same language, and it has been completely preserved and passed down to today. This is a very unique phenomenon in the history of the whole world. Professor Yuan Xingpei thinks that some answers can be found from the geographical environment. The first three civilizations developed in relatively concentrated areas, leaving little room for manoeuvre. Once destroyed by powerful foreign invasion, war or natural disasters, it is difficult to continue and recover. Chinese civilization has developed in a large area, and there is a lot of room for manoeuvre, which is convenient for absorbing and integrating the strengths and cultures of different nationalities.
5. The advanced nature of Chinese civilization
Technological invention is the common foundation of all human activities, which profoundly affects human life style, economic development and cultural value orientation. In a long historical period, China inventors led the trend of scientific and technological innovation in the world. From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Song Dynasty 1800 years, China's technological inventions have been at the forefront of the world. After more than five thousand years of migration, evolution and integration, the Chinese nation has become the most populous nation in the world. It has created splendid traditional culture, far-reaching philosopher's theory, voluminous historical ancient books, colorful poems and songs, exquisite paintings and sculptures, and four great inventions of future generations in Zebei, all of which have amazed the world.