炎黄时代与中国文明的起源和形成

Yan and Huang Periods and the Origin and Formation of Chinese Civilization

炎黄是中华民族的人文始祖,这是数千年来中华文化发展形成的共识。中国古代文献记述中的炎黄时代的各种事物与事件,大都属人文肇始至中国国家形成时期。依据考古发现与研究成果并结合文献记载,神农氏与炎帝分属两个历史时期。炎帝时期(狭义的炎帝时代)相当于考古学揭示的公元前4000～公元前3000年时期,是中国文明的起源阶段;黄帝时代(五帝时代)相当于考古学揭示的公元前3500～公元前2000年时期,可以分为黄帝时期、颛顼帝喾时期、唐尧虞舜时期早中晚三个阶段,是中国文明形成时期中的三个阶段。中国文明的形成过程,先是小区域内没有"王权"的"古国文明",而后是产生初具"王权"而缺乏有序管理机构、仍然是小区域特色的"古王国文明",最终形成以中原为核心兼具四方文化特色的具有王权与王室文化特征,以及具有初步完备的社会管理体系即国家管理体系的"王国文明"。"红山文明""良渚文明""陶寺文明"分别是中国文明形成三个过程的代表。

Yan and Huang are the ancestors of Chinese culture, which is the consensus formed in the development of Chinese culture for thousands of years. All kinds of things and events in the Yan and Huang periods recorded in ancient Chinese documents mostly belong to the period from the beginning of humanism to the formation of China's state. According to archaeological findings, research results and literature records, Shennong and Yan emperor belong to two historical periods. Yan emperor period (in a narrow sense) is equivalent to the period from 4000 BC to 3000 BC, which is the origin stage of Chinese civilization. Huang emperor period (the five emperors period) is equivalent to the period from 3500 BC to 2000 BC revealed by archaeology. It can be divided into three periods in the formation of Chinese civilization: the early, middle and late periods, which respectively refer to Huang emperor period, Zhuanxu and Ku emperor period, and Tang-Yao and Yu-Shun emperor period. As for the formation process of Chinese civilization, firstly, there was no "crown" or "ancient civilization" in small areas;secondly, there was a certain "kingship", but still lack of effective management mechanism, which was still the "kingdom of ancient civilization" with the characteristics of small areas;the state management system of "kingdom of civilization" was eventually formed with the core possessing characteristics of central plains culture, and the characteristics of the kingship and the royal family, which has a preliminary comprehensive social management system."Hongshan civilization","Liangzhu civilization" and "Taosi civilization" are respectively the representatives in the three periods of Chinese civilization formation.