The Splendid Culture of Hunan in Ancient Times | Hunan | Period

Editor's words

What exactly was Hunan like in history? Is ancient Hunan a "barbaric land"?

Where is the root of Hunan culture? Why did the earliest rice in the world and the earliest city in China appear in Hunan? Why did some heavyweight national treasures such as Siyang Fangzun and Pan Fangzun unearthed in this land of Hunan?

The legends of Emperor Shun's southern tour and burial in Jiuyi, Emperor Shennong Yan tasting a hundred herbs, and Emperor Yu's flood control have filled the land of Hunan with mysterious legends.

A series of major archaeological discoveries across the country, including Mawangdui, Yuchanyan, Gaomiao, Chengtoushan, Tanheli, Liye, Changsha Kiln, and Laosicheng, have made the sky of Chinese culture shine with the brilliance of Hunan culture.

It's time for the system to sort out the splendid history of Hunan and present the stunning beauty of Hunan's ancient civilization. Starting from January 5th, Hunan archaeologists gave a lecture in Changsha, presenting a comprehensive and tangible history of Hunan from ancient times to the Ming and Qing dynasties through ten lectures on "Discovering Hunan". Through the fog of history, people will see the unique position and role of Hunan culture in promoting Chinese civilization, enhancing cultural confidence and pride.

The tomb of Emperor Shun is shrouded in clouds and mist. Le Shui Wang Photography

Hunan Daily reporter Long Wenyang

Correspondent Deng Xiaoli and Chen Linling

"Hunan is a country, bordered by a large river to the north, thin Wuling to the south, and bordered by Guizhou and Sichuan to the west. It was formed by a group of Miao people, and is also a remote sub region of the mountainous country." Zeng Guofan's description of Hunan has long been people's impression of it - a frontier and wilderness.

Qu Yuan was exiled to the areas of Yuanshui and Dongting Lake, Jia Yi was exiled to the position of Grand Tutor of Changsha, Wang Changling was relocated to Longbiao, Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan were respectively demoted to Langzhou and Yongzhou... In history, many cultural celebrities were demoted to Hunan, further deepening the stereotype of "barbaric land" in later generations.

"This impression originates from the narrative of early Chinese history," said Guo Weimin, a researcher and director of the Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. There are very few texts related to Hunan in pre Qin literature, and only a small amount of records about Hunan are found in Qin and Han classics. In 1986, after the establishment of the Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, a large number of archaeological discoveries and research results filled the gap in Hunan's ancient history, basically establishing the spatiotemporal framework of Hunan's history, and overturning the fixed understanding of ancient Hunan that people had held for thousands of years.

"Through archaeology, we have discovered that the historical origin of Hunan can be traced back to the Paleolithic period hundreds of thousands of years ago." On January 5th, the "Discovering Hunan" series of lectures began at the Changsha Museum. Guo Weimin, titled "White Clouds Flying on Jiuyi Mountain - Archaeological Reconstruction of Ancient Hunan History," restored the ancient Hunan from its geographical location, ancient records of Hunan in ancient literature, and archaeological discoveries during the ancient Hunan period.

He said, "In ancient times, Hunan was brilliant and an indispensable part of Chinese civilization. It has already begun to brew and completed the process of Huaxia culture."

The world's earliest rice and China's earliest city

Changdezhen City is located on the eastern edge of the Liyang Plain. Tiger Claw Mountain resembles a tiger claw, extending from west to east towards the Lishui River. This is currently the earliest and scientifically excavated Paleolithic site discovered in Hunan, which is contemporaneous with the Zhoukoudian site in Beijing.

In April 1988, local archaeologists discovered more than 20 suspected stone tools at the tip of Tiger Claw Mountain. They have a smooth surface with traces of hammering, completely different from rough rocks.

White pottery fragments unearthed from the Gaomiao site. Photo by Tan Gan Le

As a representative, archaeologists have discovered many stone tools on some river terraces and hills on the west side of the Dongting Lake Plain. This indicates that human activities have been ongoing in Hunan since the Paleolithic period 500000 years ago, leaving behind rich cultural relics.

What is the feeling of "meeting" with Hunan people from the Paleolithic era?

Years later, recalling the discovery of the first human tooth fossil in Fuyan Cave, Xiong Youbang, a villager from Tangbei Village, Lefutang Township, Dao County, Yongzhou, couldn't help but feel excited.

In September 2011, a joint working group composed of cultural relics departments at all levels conducted archaeological excavations at Fuyan Cave in Dao County, and Xiong Youbang was hired as a laborer to participate in the excavation work.

September 22nd is an unforgettable day for Xiong Youbang in his lifetime. He discovered another tooth fossil. The archaeological experts present examined for a long time and confirmed that it was a human tooth fossil.

Everyone was boiling and excited, staying up all night. In the following two years, the joint working group conducted two more rounds of excavation and discovered a total of 47 human tooth fossils with completely modern human characteristics in the Fuyan Cave.

These teeth are seen as evidence of the emergence of modern humans in China. Based on the discovery of over a hundred human fossil materials in China, many experts believe that compared to the previously popular academic belief that modern humans originated from Africa, it is more likely that Chinese and even East Asian people originated from the region.

The cave that hides astonishing secrets is not just the Fu Rock Cave. In 1995, in Dao County, the Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology excavated the world's earliest primitive cultivated rice and primitive pottery fragments in a cave called Yuchanyan, dating back approximately 12000 to 14000 years. This discovery advances the history of human cultivation of rice to 12000 years ago and is considered one of the 100 most important archaeological discoveries in 20th century China.

The Yuchan Rock Site has attracted the attention of Oliver Bajoseph, an authoritative expert in international agricultural archaeology and a tenured professor of anthropology at Harvard University in the United States. He proactively proposed cooperation with relevant Chinese departments to conduct archaeological research on the origin of Chinese rice, and in November 2004, he discovered five carbonized ancient rice grains at the Yuchanyan site.

The fragrance of rice wafts in the Liyang Plain. A large amount of rice husks mixed with pottery fragments were discovered at the Pengtoushan site, dating back approximately 9000 years; At the Eighty Dang Site, nearly ten thousand carbonized rice grains dating back over 8000 years gushed out from the ancient river channel; The earliest city in China, the Chengtou Mountain Site, has discovered the world's earliest ancient rice fields, dating back more than 6000 years

The debate over the origin of rice has been ongoing for many years, including the Indian theory, Yunnan theory, and Southeast Asian theory. The discovery of Hunan has once again rewritten history. Many pieces of evidence indicate that the Liyang Plain was the first to complete the transition from hunting and gathering to rice farming economy.

"A series of archaeological discoveries show the brilliant prehistoric civilization of the Yangtze River Basin, breaking the traditional cognition that Chinese civilization originated only in the Yellow River Basin. The development of Chinese civilization is a pluralistic and integrated development. The development of Hunan's prehistoric culture has promoted the change of the concept of Chinese Neolithic culture and directly affected the formation and development of Chinese prehistoric culture and Huaxia concept." Guo Weimin said.

The Chu Kingdom competes for dominance in the Central Plains, while Hunan accelerates its development

After the Neolithic period to the Xia Dynasty in the Central Plains, although traces of human activity were discovered in Hunan, it was in a low period.

6300 to 4000 years ago, after the prosperity of Chengtou Mountain in Lixian County, it suddenly declined. During almost the same period, the Central Plains region experienced a process of accelerated development, decline, and resurgence, ultimately forming a historical trend centered around the Central Plains throughout the country.

"In the Neolithic period, the elements of Huaxia culture appeared in Hunan." Guo Weimin pointed to a picture of a colored pottery jar found on Chengtou Mountain and said that the patterns on it have obvious characteristics of the Miao Di Gou culture, which is an example of the southward migration of Central Plains culture 5500 years ago.

A large number of bronze artifacts, many of which are national first-class cultural relics, have been unearthed from the Tan He Li site in Ningxiang, featuring the dual characteristics of the Central Plains and local indigenous peoples. There are various types of bronze vessels with exquisite shapes, including musical instruments, drinking vessels, cooking vessels, household utensils, and weapons. At that time, Ningxiang was definitely not a frontier and wasteland, nor even the administrative center of ordinary local governments.

The human face copper square tripod on display at the Hunan Provincial Museum. Hunan Daily reporter Tian Chao photo

It is interesting that these important artifacts were accidentally discovered by the people. Ru Siyang Fangzun was dug up in 1938 by a farmer named Jiang Jingshu from Longquan Village, Huangcai Town, Ningxiang, while planting sweet potatoes on the mountain.

"During this period, Hunan was located on the edge of the Central Plains Chinese civilization," Guo Weimin said. Later, the rise of the Chu state and the use of Hunan as a major rear area to support its struggle for dominance in the Central Plains accelerated the process of Hunan's Huaxia civilization. The "Changsha Bullet Library Chu Silk Book" currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum in New York reflects the popularity and dissemination of Central Plains Chinese thought and culture in Hunan.

Changsha Bullet Depot Chu Silk Book. Provided by Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

In Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, the Qin slips unearthed in Longshan Liye are local government documents and archives of the Qin Dynasty. It made people discover for the first time the Qin Dynasty's Dongting Commandery and Cangwu Commandery that are not recorded in historical records. This indicates that Hunan has officially entered the sequence of being a Huaxia country.

The Western Han Dynasty established Changsha Kingdom, Wuling Commandery, Changsha Commandery, and Guiyang Commandery in Hunan, which continued to develop and transformed from a border area of China to an inland area.

On the land of Hunan, the footprints of Emperor Yan, Emperor Shun, and Emperor Yu are deep

Legend has it that the three important founders of Chinese civilization - Emperor Yan, Emperor Shun, and Emperor Dayu - all left deep marks on Hunan.

Emperor Yan invented the Lei Si, taught the people how to cultivate, made bows and arrows, tasted grass and used medicine... Due to the accidental ingestion of the broken intestine grass, "it collapsed and was buried at the end of Changsha Tea Township, called Chaling." At that time, Chaling was now Yanling County, Zhuzhou City.

The Yan Emperor's Mausoleum, located in Luyuan Pi to the west of Yanling City, has been a tomb since the Western Han Dynasty and was worshipped in the Tang Dynasty. In the year 967 AD, Emperor Taizu of Song ordered the establishment of a temple in front of the tomb, and at the same time ordered the prohibition of woodcutting and the establishment of tomb guardians. Since then, various dynasties have continued to offer sacrifices and repair the temple. The Yan Emperor Mausoleum Festival has become an important carrier for inheriting Yan Huang culture and consolidating national emotions. The Shennong Valley in the northeast of Yanling County is lush with vegetation and is said to be the place where Emperor Yan collected herbs. It is a beautiful place for people to clear their hearts and nourish their lungs today.

According to the Records of the Historian, Emperor Shun "collapsed in the wild of Cangwu. Buried in Jiuyi, Jiangnan, it is Lingling." After years of searching, in 2004, archaeologists finally discovered the site of Emperor Shun Temple in the Song Dynasty in Jiuyi Mountain. This is the earliest known Emperor Shun Mausoleum temple confirmed by archaeological excavations.

On Junshan Island in Dongting Lake, by the tomb of the Second Consort, there are tears on the bamboo of the Xiang Consort. According to legend, the two concubines came here to search for their husbands and suddenly heard the news of Emperor Shun's passing. They were heartbroken and died, and were buried on the island.

"The royal family and noble families of the Chu state have always regarded themselves as descendants of the Chinese people. During the Warring States period, all of Hunan entered the Chu territory, and Jiuyi Mountain was the southern border of the Chu state. At this time, the legend of Emperor Shun's southern tour and burial in Jiuyi emerged. Guo Weimin believed that the emergence of this legend was a geographical indication of political and cultural identity during the unification period, and it is highly likely that the Chu state completed the cultural construction of the legend of" Shun burying Jiuyi "in order to consolidate its territory and dominate the Central Plains.".

In Hengshan, it is said that the Great Yu left behind a stone tablet to control the floods. There are many legends of the Great Yu and place names with the character "Yu" in this area. According to literature records and on-site investigation results, the scope of the Yu Monument site has been determined. However, it remains to be confirmed whether the giant stones in the site are original monuments.

Ancient stele pedestal unearthed from the Shun Emperor Temple site. Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

The combination of ancient legends and archaeological evidence gradually revealed the true Hunan of ancient times.

Events

Ancient History of Hunan

Reconstruction with the Age

For over 30 years, Hunan archaeologists have reconstructed the archaeological and cultural chronology of the Hunan region from 500000 years ago to before the dynastic era using cultural relics buried in the land of Hunan. The sequence is complete and almost complete, with no missing links.

Paleolithic Age

1. Tiger Claw Mountain Culture

2. Jigongdang Culture

3. Wuyishan Culture

4. Umbrella Top Cover Culture

5. Shiligang Culture

The Neolithic Age

1. Pengtou Mountain Culture

2. Lower level culture in the soap market

3. Tangjiagang Culture

4. Daxi Culture

5. Youziling Culture

6. Qujialing Culture

7. Shijiahe Culture

Houshijiahe Culture

■ Comments

Liu Wu, Researcher of Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences:

The greatest significance of the archaeological discovery of Fu Yan Cave is the discovery of "fullymodern" modern people. Although the question of whether modern people originated in Africa has not been directly touched on, combined with the discovery of domestic fossils in Daoxian County and so many years, a more reasonable guess is that Chinese and even East Asians are more likely to originate locally.

Famous archaeologist and professor at the Department of Archaeology at Peking University, Yan Wenming:

The importance of Chengtou Mountain can hardly be compared to any archaeological site. From a city perspective, it is the earliest city site in China. From the cross-section of the city wall, one can clearly see the construction method of the city. But it's not just about this, it was built four times, each time raised, and the level of craftsmanship is very advanced. The second one is a paddy field. China is the region with the most rice in the world, and it is widely recognized that China is the most important place for the origin of rice. However, rice paddies in China have never been found. We found it on Chengtou Mountain, and it also has a series of devices connected into a system, which contains a lot of plant silicates from rice, more than those from modern rice paddies. It is not acceptable to deny that it is a rice paddy. Besides the houses inside, there are also many well preserved houses from the Neolithic period in China. That's in the north, in Jiangnan it's the only one. The protection of relics in Jiangnan is very difficult, although some have been preserved, their later protection status is often not as good as in the north. The house on Chengtou Mountain is not a single room, but a large set of rooms with division of labor, including a large kitchen, large living rooms, many small row rooms, and road connections. This is very rare to find in current settlement archaeology. In China, it is not common to have such a set. Ceramic kilns have division of labor, which does not necessarily mean burning one type of object per kiln, but rather making it more convenient to burn something together.

Jiao Nanfeng, researcher and former president of Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology:

The discovery of Liye Ancient City and Liye Qin Bamboo Slips is of great significance for archaeological research during the Qin and Han dynasties. The excavation of Qin bamboo slips filled a historical gap in comprehensively understanding the political, economic, cultural and other information of a place under the rule of the Qin Empire at that time. At the same time, it provides comprehensive archaeological materials for the study of local political power in the Qin Dynasty, which is of great value.

Guo Weimin, Researcher and Director of Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology:

Using history as a mirror can reveal the rise and fall. Archaeology has important practical significance for the development of contemporary Chinese society. As mentioned in the "Discovering Hunan" series of lectures, many archaeological discoveries in Hunan reveal the importance of environmental protection. During the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties period, the large-scale exploitation of porcelain clay resources in Changsha's Tongguan Kiln has not yet been restored, causing damage. However, in the Tongmuling smelting site in Guiyang, due to excessive mining and smelting, some caves have no grass growing. The Chengtou Mountain, known as the "earliest city in China," was once bustling. It suddenly declined over 4000 years ago for unknown reasons. Japanese scholars have found parasites in the site, and the closest batch of tombs on Chengtou Mountain to this day are mostly urn coffins, which may be caused by a prolonged epidemic.