The Xia Dynasty Travel Episode VII
The Yuzhuang Site: Unveiling the Noble Life 4,000 Years Ago
追寻夏的轨迹⑦丨叶县余庄遗址:探寻4000年前的“贵族气息”
"Therefore, in ancient times, the wise ruler would set up a clear hierarchical system, including nobles, high-ranking officials, low-ranking officials and ordinary people." 2,000 years ago, Jia Yi, a famous political commentator and litterateur of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC to 8 AD), put forward the idea of "hierarchy" for the first time in China. But in fact, it is still unknowable when "hierarchy" came out in the East, because when the surplus fruits of labor appeared in primitive society, the concept of "hierarchy" naturally emerged.
“故古者圣王制为列等,内有公卿大夫士,外有公侯伯子男……等级分明。”2000多年前,西汉著名的政论家、文学家贾谊在其所著的《新书》中,在中国第一次提出了“阶级”之说。但实际上,阶级在东方何时出现,已无从可考,毕竟,当原始社会里有了剩余劳动成果之后,就自然出现了阶级的概念。
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In early autumn, at the workshops in Yuzhuang village of Pingdingshan city, Central China's Henan province, the rumble of machinery showed us a busy and bustling scene. On September 2, we arrived at the Yuzhuang Site where archaeologists were busy working in an orderly way. In modern civilization, the primitive life of our ancestors 4,000 years ago is gradually being unveiled.
初秋的叶县余庄村,明亮厂房里,隆隆的机器声预示着一派繁忙景象。9月2日,记者到余庄遗址发掘现场,考古人员在紧张有序地忙碌着。现代文明相伴下,4000年前先民们生活的点点滴滴,正逐步向世人揭开。
In December 2019, because of the construction of the standardized factory of Yexian county, the Consultant and Service Center for the Protection of Cultural Relics of Pingdingshan City explored the land acquired and discovered many cultural layers piled up. The land was then identified as a site of the Longshan Culture (around 2500 BC-2000 BC).
2019年12月,为配合叶县标准化厂房的建设,平顶山市文物保护工程咨询服务中心在对标准化厂房所征地块进行文物勘探时,发现表土层下存在大量文化层堆积,确定为一处早期遗址,后经确认,该遗址是一处龙山文化遗址。
A drinking vessel unearthed at the Yuzhuang Site. [Photo provided to Henan Daily App]
Many tombs of the Longshan Culture are distributed in the Yuzhuang Site. The densely-distributed area is about 200 meters long from north to south and 70 meters wide from east to west, covering about 14,000 square meters. Nearly 40 tombs were excavated, including the large tombs distributed in groups with a fixed number of pottery vessels, reflecting the serious social stratification in the Central Plains during the Longshan Culture with a relatively mature and standardized ritual system taken shape.
据介绍,遗址内还分布着其他较多龙山文化墓葬,集中分布区域南北长约200米,东西宽70米,面积约14000平方米。考古发掘清理近40座墓葬,其中有成组分布的大型墓葬,每座墓均随葬有成组的陶礼器,且各类器物具有固定的数量搭配关系,反映出在龙山时期中原地区社会分化严重,已经形成了比较成熟、规范的礼制。
Jointly undertaken by the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Henan Province and the relevant local departments, a new round of excavation is underway at the Yuzhuang Site now, which is likely to bring us more surprises.
目前,河南省文物考古研究院联合地方正在对余庄遗址进行进一步发掘,很有可能有着更大的惊喜等着考古工作者们去发现。(中文来源/河南日报客户端 记者/李悦 黄晖 翻译/赵汉青 视频/实习生王君艺 审校/陈行洁)