从精神文化考古的维度看中原观念的出现与形成

Occurrence and Formation of the Central Plains Concept Viewed from the Perspective of Spiritual Cultural Archaeology

中原的概念取决于以政治地理五方为表象的天下观,而天下观取决于地中概念。通过对现有考古资料的分析,对比陶寺文化与王湾三期文化的地中理论概念标准与政治地理五方的观念,提出地中和天下观同时出现于陶寺文化,确立于王湾三期文化,普及于二里头文化。于是中原概念在陶寺文化开始出现,只是在邦国林立的当时,这一概念并不一定能得到周边文化和族群的承认。中原概念被王湾三期文化通过文化扩张和政治作为所推出,至少被江淮地区或海岱地区的文化和族群所接受,既可自称,也可他称。作为王湾三期文化直接后裔的二里头文化,则通过王朝的各种手段,普及中原概念。而黄河中游地区的地中的理论标准,是依据政治中心的夏至晷影通过政治话语霸权确定的。

The essay argues that the concept of the Central Plains was determined by the concept of land under heaven which was manifested in political and geographical five quarters, and the concept of land under heaven was determined by the Earth Center Concept. Based on lately archaeological data, the author suggests that the concepts of both the Earth Center and the Land under Heaven occurred in Taosi Culture, established in Wang Wan Culture III, popularized in Erlitou Culture, by means of comparing the criteria of the Earth Center and political and geographic five quarters respectively referred to Taosi Culture and Wang Wan Culture III. Accordingly, the Central Plains Concept might have self considered by Taosi Culture, but not recognized by surroundings at the beginning. The concept of Central Plains was put forward and well spread by Wang Wan Culture III, and at least was accepted by the cultures and societies inhabiting in Huai He River and Yangtze River Valley, as well as the people in Eastern Coast. In this stage, the Central Plains Concept could be either called by Wang Wan Culture III itself and by surroundings. As the principle descendant of Wang Wan Culture III, Erlitou Culture popularized the concept of Central Plain by all kinds of strategies of kingdom. The theoretic criteria of Earth Center in Middle Yellow River Valley were categorized with the lengths of sundial shadow of the noon on local summer solstice at the political centers or even the capitals, which were legislated or diffused by political discourse powers.