追寻中华文明的价值--重读张光直《考古学专题六讲》

A Pursuit for the Value of Chinese Civilization:Rereading Kwang-chih Chang's Six Lectures on Archaeology

1984年哈佛大学教授张光直在北京大学考古系所做的“考古学专题六讲”是对中国考古学科影响深远的系列讲座。张光直首先从考古学的属性与基本方法入手,详细梳理和辨析了“资料”(data)、“技术”(technique)、“方法”(method)和“理论”(theory)等关键概念,并由此深入探讨考古学研究的基本逻辑与方法。张光直进而把考古学理论与中国考古材料有机结合,探求中国古代研究的世界性问题,也即在世界文明的大背景下审视中国文明的独特价值,并最终获得了关于文明起源“连续性的”(世界性的)与“突破性的”(西方式的)两种模式的深刻认识。

In 1984,Harvard Professor Kwang-chih Chang(张光直)gave a series of six lectures on archaeology at Peking University,which produced far-reaching influences upon the archaeological study in China.Professor Chang explored the theoretical framework and methodology of archaeology by dealing with the nature of archaeology and its fundamental practice,making a detailed arrangement and analysis of such key concepts as data,techniques,methods and theories.Through an organic integration of archaeological theories with Chinese archaeological data,he examined the unique value of Chinese civilization in the broader context of world civilization,which was a global issue in the study of ancient China.His lectures led to a profound understanding of such models as"continuity"(world trajectory)and"rupture"(Western trajectory),which were concerned the origin of civilization.