February 9, 2006:

[achtung! kunst] *archaeology* : Researchers Shed New Lights on Origin of Ancient Chinese Civilization
 
     
 


x-post from EastAsianArch@yahoogroups.com (Tim 't Hart)
with kind permission

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Researchers Shed New Lights on Origin of Ancient Chinese Civilization

Chinese ancients living 3,500 to 4,500 years ago already had many choices for meal, including millet, wheat and rice, which are still the staple food of the Chinese.

They also compiled calendars according to their astronomical observation, which is regarded as one of the symbols of the origin of civilization.

They made exquisite bronze vessels to hold wine and food, and some of the bronze vessels were later developed into symbol of the supreme imperial power.

But how the Chinese civilization started and evolved remains a magnetic topic that has cost the lifelong efforts of generations of scholars.

After five years of intensive study, researchers engaged in a grand archaeological project have drawn an outline of the Chinese society 3,500 to 4,500 years ago, the most important period that researchers believe is closely related to the origin of ancient Chinese civilization.

China launched the archaeological project in 2001, aiming to seek the origin of ancient Chinese civilization, the only one in the world that has kept developing for 5,000 years without interruption.

Researchers try to find answers to such questions as whether Huangdi and Yandi, two legendary ancestors of the Chinese nation, really existed in history, and whether there were any Chinese characters even older than the inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells discovered in the famous Yin Ruins, which date back to over 3,000 years.

"To study the origin and development process of ancient Chinese civilization is an important contribution to the research into human history," said Wang Wei, one of the leading archaeologists of the project.

Rest at:
http://china.org.cn/english/2006/Jan/153942.htm

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with kind regards,

Matthias Arnold (Art-Eastasia list)

http://www.chinaresource.org
http://www.fluktor.de

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