文明探源与炎帝史迹索隐

Tracking down the Origin of Civilization and Ascertaining the Historical Relics of Yandi Emperor

在多学科共同攻关的文明探源研究中,古史传说的系统整理是基础性工作之一。传说时代的古帝实为历史重大变革的化身,对三皇五帝古史系统的批判,不足以否定那些具有里程碑意义的重大变革的存在。其中,炎帝处于十分关键的地位,史书上有“炎黄”和“黄炎”两个完全不同的概念,赋予了炎帝双重身份,使他既代表了生产经济出现以后的神农氏时代,又属于开启英雄时代历史大幕的代表人物之一,居于文明探源研究两个关键的节点上,纵贯距今1000至5000年前后的整个炎黄时代。炎帝不仅是中华民族悠远文化根系的标志,而且进入有文字记载的历史时期以后,依然极具生命活力,如果追寻其身影在不同历史时期的空间分布,甚至可以连接起中华文明发展前行的轨迹。

In tracking down the origin of Chinese civilization with multi-disciplinary efforts, one of the basic tasks is to systematize the legends of ancient Chinese history. The prehistoric legendary kings were actually the embodiments of historic transformation. The criticism of the Three Kings and Five Emperors cannot deny the existence of the historic transformation, which acts as a milestone in history. Yandi took a critical position in history. According to historical documents, ＂Yan-Huang＂ and ＂Huang-Yan＂ are two totally different concepts bestowed to Yandi as a double status. He not only stands for the era of Shennongshi as the initiator of agricultural economy, but he is also the representative who marked the beginning of the heroic history. Therefore he occupies two critical positions in the growth of civilization that deserves tracking down-the whole Yan-Huang era ranging from 1000 to 5000 years ago. Yandi is not only thesymbol of the origin of civilization, but he also showed the orbit of the development of Chinese culture even during the appearance of recorded history. He is still full of attraction for researchers to track down his influence in different historical periods.