北部欧贝德文化的形成过程

The Formation of Northern Ubaid Culture

两河流域(Mesopotamia)是世界古代文明的重要发源地。公元前3200年,两河流域南部乌鲁克遗址(Uruk)第4层出现了目前所知最古老的文字,自此开启了历史上最早的城邦文明——苏美尔文明(Sumerian Civilization)[1]。19世纪以来,苏美尔文明起源之谜一直备受关注。在1931年的东方学会议上,学界基本达成一致,建立了“欧贝德(Ubaid)时期—乌鲁克时期—原始文字时期”的前王朝序列,欧贝德文化是苏美尔文明目前可追溯的最早源头[2],也是苏美尔文明起源的关键时期。

The Ubaid culture was the headstream of Sumerian Civilization.The cultural variant of the Ubaid culture formed in northern Mesopotamia during the 5th millennium BC and was named Northern Ubaid culture.By analyzing the material culture from Tepe Gawra,including pottery,architecture,burials,and clay objects,it is clear that the formation of Northern Ubaid culture underwent three different cultural processes.In the fi rst phase,Ubaid pottery-making and fi ring techniques were adopted by a small group of people in northern Mesopotamia.In the second phase,the painted pottery and temples of the Ubaid culture were introduced and simulated proactively by local society.In the third phase,local communities were forced to accept Ubaid religious rites and burial customs aggressively promoted by the people from southern Mesopotamia.Through these processes,social relations in northern Mesopotamia changed,which then catalyzed the improvement of the administrative system and the emergence of theocracy.Ultimately,a new civilization emerged on the foundations of Northern Ubaid culture.