地中海共同体:古代文明交流研究的一种新范式

“Mediterranean Koine”:A New Interactive Paradigm for the Study of Ancient Civilizations

关于古代文明交流互鉴的研究,尤其是古风时代的相关研究,经历了“比较研究—地中海共同体—网络理论”的范式转变。其中,“地中海共同体”或许是可资借鉴的最佳理论范式。在不同的历史学家笔下,“地中海共同体”所呈现的一般特点有:基于商贸活动而进行的文明交流,因联系而形成的“区域”,统一性与独特性紧密联系,独特的生态环境所决定的高水平的经济和文化联系。其中,基于商贸活动而进行的文明交流是公元前8世纪—前6世纪“地中海共同体”的基本特征。将“地中海共同体”作为古代文明交流互鉴研究的一种范式,还需要注意考察不同的时空范围、不同的社会结构、各文明的独立性与差异性等问题。

The study of the interaction among ancient civilizations with a special focus on the archaic period has developed three paradigms,including a comparative approach,a regional approach that regards the Mediterranean as a koine,and a historical approach based on network theory.Among them,the“Mediterranean Koine”approach might be theoretically the best.Despite the fact that various historians have adopted this paradigm,their shared views on the main features of such a civilizational community include:the cultural exchanges based on commercial activities,the integrated“region”formed through the connection,the balanced relationship between individuality and commonality,and the high level of economic and cultural connections determined by the unique ecological environment.Cultural exchanges based on trade activities are the fundamental character of the“Mediterranean Koine”from the eighth to sixth century BC.To adopt the“Mediterranean Koine”as a paradigm in research,we should also pay attention to differences and similarities among civilizations such as their various scopes of time and space and social structures as well as their unique natures and levels of differences.