试论中国牛车、马车的本土起源

On the Native Origin of the Oxcart and Carriage of China

车是古代重要的交通工具。与西亚等地相比,从“黄帝造车”等古史传说和文献记载来看,我国车出现的时间与西亚相比相差不远。中国早期车的遗存都出现在远离西北和北部边陲的中原地区。由此可见中国的车并非传自域外。商人是善于迁徙和经商的部族,车是其代步致远的重要工具,这正与文献记载相吻合。豫东平原一望无垠,适宜放牧牛马和驾车,是传说中先商活动的主要地区,在那里发现有不少史前文化的遗迹。因此有理由推断:牛车、马车应是在中国本土起源的,商族应是我国最早掌握牛车、马车驾御技术的部族。

The vehicles are the important traffic tools in the ancient time. Based on the historic documents, the time of appearance of the Chinese and Western Asia vehicles was close. The relics of the early Chinese vehicles were found in the central China where is far from the borderline of China. According to the historic documents, The Shang tribe was good at migrating and trading. The vehicles are their important traffic tools. The Shang tribe mainly lived in the Yudong plain where feeding horse and ox and driving the vehicles are fitting. So the vehicles, carriages and oxearts should be originated in China.