Archaeologists discuss the newly discovered Liangzhu site in the "Empirical China" section of Shangbo | Liangzhu | Scholars
The second exhibition of the "Why China" Cultural Relics and Archaeology Exhibition Series at the Shanghai Museum, "Empirical China: Songze Liangzhu Civilization Archaeology Special Exhibition," is currently on display at the Shanghai Museum. The exhibition features 358 cultural relics, presenting the greatest achievement of the first peak of civilization development represented by Songze culture, Liangzhu culture, etc., dating from 5800 to 4300 years ago.
This exhibition brings together numerous cultural relics unearthed from the Liangzhu site in Zhejiang, including the "Three Great Artifacts" of Liangzhu - "Cong King", "Yue King", and Jade Right Staff - unearthed from Tomb 12 of the Fanshan site in Zhejiang. The jade bi and cong unearthed from Tomb 20 of the Fanshan site, as well as the early dragon head jade bracelet and jade cicada unearthed from Tomb 106 of the Beicun site in Yuhang, Zhejiang in recent years. Fang Xiangming from the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology recently accepted an interview with The Paper and introduced the heavyweight exhibits unearthed from Zhejiang archaeology.
Exhibition site
Divine Emblem and Bird Pattern
The jade cong, unearthed in Liangzhu, Zhejiang and known as the "King of Cong", was watched by the audience on the day of its opening, with its crowded head tightly pressed against the display cabinet just to see the true face of gods, humans, and animals. Fang Xiangming introduced that this jade cong was unearthed on May 31, 1986 at Tomb 12 of the Anti Mountain Site in Zhejiang Province. He was not a witness to the excavation and was still a sophomore student at that time. In the first issue of the Archaeological Bulletin of the Cultural Relics magazine in 1988, Mr. Wang Mingda, the predecessor of Liangzhu Archaeology, publicly announced this discovery. After the publication of the archaeological report on the anti mountain site in 2005, the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research transferred this jade cong along with other cultural relics unearthed from tombs to the Zhejiang Provincial Museum.
Fang Xiangming introduces the "Cong King" unearthed from the Liangzhu Site in the exhibition hall
"What we usually talk about is that the inner circle and outer side of the jade cong symbolize communication between heaven and earth, but its connotation is much more complex than what we know." The direction clearly states that the jade cong appears to be inner circle and outer side, but from a top-down perspective, the edges of its four corners are curved and need to be divided by straight grooves. Therefore, in addition to reflecting the upper large and lower small on the facade, it also displays the spatial meaning of "four directions" on the facade and plane. It can be said that it is a microcosm of ancient Chinese cosmology. The diamond hole in the middle of the jade cong may not only serve as a channel for communication between heaven and earth, but also as a rotating central axis. "If we examine Yu Cong from the perspective of the long history of Chinese civilization, the ideological concepts it embodies are much richer than we imagine," said the direction clearly.
Liangzhu Culture Jade Cong Unearthed from Tomb 12 of the Zhejiang Anti Mountain Site in 1986, Collection of Zhejiang Provincial Museum
A complete divine emblem carved on jade cong
The Yue, originally used as a weapon for killing and attacking, appeared as a jade Yue after its ritual transformation, indicating that it has departed from its original function and marked a significant change in the relationship between people. The appearance of jade Yue dates back a long time. In addition to the jade Yue from the Liangzhu culture, this exhibition also showcases a large number of jade Yue from the earlier Lingjiatan culture.
"However, in terms of luxury, it is far inferior to the 'Yue King' unearthed from the 12th King's Mausoleum at the Anti Mountain Site." Fang Xiangming pointed to the jade Yue in the display cabinet and said that most of the jade Yue indicate that they are plain faced. The two edges of this jade Yue are engraved with complete divine, human, animal face patterns and bird patterns, respectively. It should have been pressed on the handle originally, but the handle has decayed as organic matter, and small jade particles should have been embedded on the handle. Especially, it is also buried in groups with the "King Cong" and the jade scepter, symbolizing the identity and status of the tomb owner.
Liangzhu Culture Gods and Human Beasts Face Pattern Turtle Heading Combination Jade Yue Unearthed in 1986 in Zhejiang Anti-mountain Site Tomb 12 Zhejiang Provincial Museum Collection
What is the meaning of these two pieces of "King Cong" and "King Yue" carved with the same divine emblem and bird pattern? The direction clearly states that if the jade cong symbolizes the worldview at that time, ancestor worship, and a kind of divine power, then the jade yue is a symbol of power. The character "Wang" in oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions is believed to be a pictographic character evolved from the Yue. The jade Yue symbolizes royal power. When the jade Yue is engraved with the Liangzhu God Emblem and bird patterns, royal power is endowed with the will of the gods, which can be explained as the divine grant of royal power.
The jade scepter of the Liangzhu Culture's Mao Upsetting Combination was unearthed from Tomb 12 at the Fanshan Site in Zhejiang Province in 1986
The divine emblem and bird pattern carved on cong, yue, and jade scepter are actually a combination form. After careful observation, it can be found that the body of the bird pattern is exactly the same as the eyes of the god emblem. Fang Xiangming believes that there are several meanings in this: drawing a bird means the sky, indicating that the space where the god statue is located is in the sky, and it also means that it needs the god bird to help it rotate and rise.
The Songze era laid a solid foundation for the Liangzhu civilization
The exhibition aims to present the process of early civilization in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which is a development history from the accumulation and development of the Songze era to the rise and prosperity of the Liangzhu civilization.
The direction clearly states that understanding the connotation of the exhibition "Songze Liangzhu Civilization Archaeological Exhibition" can regard the transition from Songze to Liangzhu as a whole. The Liangzhu civilization did not emerge out of thin air, but went through a long process of development and nurturing. The Songze culture, Lingjiatan culture, and other cultures dating back 6000 to 5300 years have laid a solid foundation for the emergence and development of Liangzhu civilization in both material and spiritual fields.
Animal patterned hollowed out pottery beans from Songze culture unearthed from Tomb 94 of Dongshan Village Site in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province in 2009, Zhangjiagang Museum Collection
Animal patterned hollowed out pottery beans from Songze culture unearthed from Tomb 94 of Dongshan Village Site in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province in 2009, Zhangjiagang Museum Collection
The bean handle is carved with two sets of divine beast images displayed on the front, one on the top and the other on the bottom. The upper part is a cross shaped crown with carvings on the crown, resembling two eyes. The features of the divine beast in the lower part are more distinct, with almond shaped eyes carved with eyeballs, and a wide nose carved with nostrils at the lower end. The lower limbs open and crouch.
For example, from the perspective of ideological concepts, we can trace back not only to the origin of jade cong, but also to the image of divine beasts. For example, the animal patterned perforated pottery beans of the Songze culture currently on display, with two sets of divine animal images displayed on the upper and lower sides carved on the bean handle. Most experts believe that the animal face pattern of Liangzhu inherits the image elements of the Songze culture like this.
Exhibition site rice cultivation civilization unit
The most crucial factor in terms of material and cultural aspects is the emergence of rice farming in this region, which has been continuously developing for nearly 10000 years. From the Wannian Mountain Culture in Zhejiang to the Hemudu Culture and Majiabang Culture, rice farming has developed rapidly. It is precisely because of the highly developed material foundation that rapid development can be achieved in the process of regional civilization.
Rice unearthed from Liangzhu
From 5300 to 4300, the prosperity of the Liangzhu civilization lasted for over 1000 years. Fang Xiangming believes that the reasons for the decline of Liangzhu civilization are multifaceted. The environment and resources in this region are undergoing significant changes. Based on comprehensive archaeological materials, it has been found that the jade and wood resources in the late Liangzhu period are facing signs of depletion. At the same time, 4300 years ago is still an important time node. The culture of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, especially the Yellow River Basin, has had a great impact on the civilization of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. After the Liangzhu Culture, a large number of cultural factors from the Yellow River Basin can be seen in the Qiansanyang Culture and Guangfulin Culture.
New Archaeological Discoveries in Liangzhu
After the successful application of the Liangzhu Site for World Heritage, the pace of Liangzhu archaeology has not stopped and has made some new progress. Fang Xiangming introduced that firstly, in recent years, archaeology has been conducted on handicraft workshops in the ancient city of Liangzhu; Secondly, many new water conservancy facilities have been discovered outside the city, achieving new breakthroughs; Thirdly, some new important archaeological sites have been discovered in the south of Liangzhu Ancient City, especially the Beicun Site in Yuhang, Zhejiang Province, in combination with basic construction archaeology.
Liangzhu Ancient City Site Park
The Beicun Site is an early settlement site in Liangzhu, and is another important discovery on the outskirts of Liangzhu Ancient City. It reveals the development status of the aristocratic class before the completion of Liangzhu Ancient City, providing new information for studying the development of early Liangzhu society, class differentiation, and exploring the background of the rise of Liangzhu Ancient City.
Liangzhu Culture Dragon Head Jade Bracelet Unearthed at Tomb 106, Yuyao North Village Site, Zhejiang Province, 2021, Collection of Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
Exhibition Site Liangzhu Culture Dragon Head Jade Bracelet Unearthed at Tomb 106, Yuyao North Village Site, Zhejiang Province, 2021, Collection of Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
Among them, M106 unearthed important jade artifacts such as dragon head bracelets, perforated animal face patterned crowns, Huang Chuan, and jade cicadas. In this exhibition hall, dragon head jade bracelets and jade cicadas unearthed from M106 at the Beicun site are displayed. The jade cicada has a very special significance in Chinese culture. Since the Han Dynasty, the feathering of cicadas has been used as a metaphor for the ability of humans to be reborn. Placing a jade cicada in the mouth of the deceased is called a cicada, which symbolizes the immortality of the spirit, regeneration, and resurrection.
Exhibition Site Liangzhu Culture Jade Cicada Unearthed at Tomb 106, Yuyao North Village Site, Zhejiang Province, 2021, Collection of Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
The direction clearly states that the display cabinet for the Dragon Head Jade Bracelet is also very interesting, showcasing the Jade Dragon series from Songze Culture, Lingjiatan Culture to Liangzhu Culture in sequence. The connotation of jade dragons is also very rich, and there are also jade dragons in the Hongshan culture. Their shapes and structures are very similar, but their sizes vary greatly. The largest jade dragon in the Hongshan culture is 15 centimeters, which is only about one centimeter. "The evolution of the Jade Dragon can be said to have provided a good foundation for the emergence of animal faced statues in the later Liangzhu culture."
