下川文化——山西下川遗址调查报告

ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCES AT HSIA-CH’UAN IN CH’IN SHUI COUNTY, SHANSI PROVINCE

一、前言下川一类遗址位居中条山东端,地跨山西省垣曲、沁水、阳城三县。就中以石器遗存丰富、地层保存较好的沁水县下川地区为代表。下川是个山间小盆地。下川遗址是垣曲县文化馆吕辑书同志发现的。一九七○年夏,他到历山采集植物标本时,首先在一个名叫大腰的山坡上,拣到了人工打击的燧石片,在回县途中,路过下川时,发现下川石器遗存更为丰富,遂采集了许多石器材料。当我们得知后,于一九七二年十月间,和吕辑书同志到下川作了二次调查,找到了含石器的原生地层。一九七三年九、十两月,我们在下川的富益河圪梁和水井背两个地点进行了发掘。

During the menths of September through December in 1973, the authors conducted archaeological reconnaissances in the vicinity of Hsia-ch'uan in Ch'in Shui County, Shansi Province, resulting in the discovery of stone implements at sixteen localities and the excavation of two sites located respectively at Fu-yi-ho-ke-liang 富益河圪染 and Shui-chingpei 水井背. They uncovered a wealth of microlithic stone implements from the greyish brown sub-clay layer at both sites and collected some bulky chipped implements of sandstone from the reddish sub-clay layer at the former site. But there are neither polished implements nor potsherds. Among the microliths are such types as the blade, core, scraper, point and the graver. The latter is marked by a well-established form and a fine workmanship. In view of the richness and pronounced characteristics of the microliths unearthed from these two sites, as well as their clearly defined stratification, the authors have coined a new name, the Hsiach'uan Culture, for this assemblage of finds. The microliths found at these two sites are uncovered from the greyish brown sub clay layer, which is seperated from the lower reddish sub-clay layer by a 1.3-metresthick brownish-red sub-clay layer The reddish sub-clay layer dates from the middle of the late Pleistocene while the greyish brown sub-clay layer dates from the end of the late Pleistocene. The upper and middle parts of the greyish brown sub-clay layer are particularly rich in microliths but contain very few bulky implements; whereas its lower part contains only a few microliths but much more bulky implements. This fact seems to suggest that the Hsiach'uan Culture probably went through a very long process of development here.