国家起源研究中历史性事实对考古学证据意义形成的影响

The Impacts of Historical Facts on Archaeological Evidence in the Research of the Origin of the State

虽然在国家起源研究中援用人类学概念和模式进行分析是必要的,但这些分析对个案研究有一定局限性,因此,需要重视个案的完整研究,尤其是对个案中国家形成和生存情况的长时段的历史性事实的关注。中国国家起源研究中对一些重要考古学证据意义的分析,运用的以物化证据标准衡量的方法还不具备真正的科学性,以此来认定考古学资料可能具有的表明国家存在的意义存在一些缺陷,需要重视历史性事实对于考古学证据意义形成的作用。在对近年学术界高度关注的重要的新石器时代晚期遗址意义的认定上,研究者应重视一些在中国早期历史发展中有重要意义的历史性事实的作用,如能直接表现国家制度运作的历史性事实、对于国家制度作为合法政治传统存在和发展的事实、国家制度发展的长期性后果等。

While it is necessary to apply anthropological concepts and methodologies in studying the origin of the state, it is important to be aware of their limitations on individual cases. It is therefore essential to conduct integrative study on individual cases with special focus to be put on the historical facts of the long time period when the nation was forming and existing. The method to evaluate the archaeological data to the same criteria as that of material evidences is arguable. The evidence identified by this method to support the existence of the state is therefore insufficient. The impacts of historical facts on these archaeological evidences should be more valued. In identifying the significance of the major sites of the late Neolithic age, which have gained great academic attention, the historical facts that have played important roles in China's early history, for examples, those that directly showed how the state system worked, those that verified the existence and development of the state system as a legal practice, and the long-term results of the state system,should be paid with more attention.