The reporter learned from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage that the important progress work meeting of the “Archaeological China” major project was held in Beijing on the 13th, and four important archaeological achievements were reported at the meeting, including Qiege Site, Mabulu Site, Gebuseru Site and Dangxiong Cemetery. Song Xinchao, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, attended the meeting.
The conference focused on important archaeological discoveries and research progress in Tibet Autonomous Region.
Qiege Site in Gaer County is a wilderness site of Paleolithic Age in the early Holocene. Archaeological findings show that continuous cultural layers have accumulated, and more than 5,000 relics mainly made of stone products have been unearthed, and human activities such as fire pits and ash pits have been found. There are more than 2,000 relics unearthed in a densely distributed area of stone products, which are supposed to be the remains made by ancient people and buried in situ. Two stone technology types, namely stone chip industry and fine stone leaf industry, are supposed to be the remains of human activities in two different periods, indicating that ancient people have experienced at least two repeated occupation processes here, filling the gap of prehistoric archaeological culture in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Mabulu Site in Kangma County (4410m above sea level) is a prehistoric settlement site about 4,000 years ago. Archaeological findings include fire pits, tombs and other human life relics, as well as stone tools, pottery, bones, mussel ornaments, talc beads, jade tube beads and other relics. There are two types of tombs: sarcophagus tomb and vertical hole pit tomb. The decorative patterns of pottery are mainly carved patterns, and the technical style is similar to that of the remains in Hengduan Mountain area at the same time. Mabulu site represents a new type of archaeological culture, which is of great significance for establishing the sequence of prehistoric archaeological culture in Tibet and exploring the extreme environmental process and strategy of human adaptation to cold and hypoxia.
Gebusailu site in Zada County is a site from the late Bronze Age to the early Iron Age. Two periods of early and late tombs were discovered. The first period is from 3600 to 3000 years ago, mainly stone tombs, reflecting the economic characteristics of animal husbandry and hunting. The second period, from 2700 to 2100 years ago, was dominated by cave tombs, and the unearthed pottery was dominated by red-brown earthenware vessels with sand, mostly decorated with thick rope patterns, carved patterns and stamp patterns. This type of remains is widely found in the middle reaches of Xiangquan River. The site of Gebusailu is of great value for studying the exchange and migration of people in Xiangquan River basin and the formation and development of regional culture.
Dangxiong Cemetery in Dangxiong County is a cemetery in the Tubo period, dating from the 7th to 9th centuries. Archaeological findings show that there are 52 earth-sealed tombs, including stone tombs and earth pit tombs. There are walls around the tombs, and the burial method is mainly the second burial by picking bones, and animal sacrifice is more common. More than 300 pieces (sets) of gold and silver wares, beaded ornaments, pottery, Weiqi, etc. were unearthed. The archaeological work in Dangxiong cemetery further reveals the funeral customs and system of Tubo culture, and the unearthed stone black and white Weiqi, lacquerware fragments and textiles show close ties with the Central Plains culture, which is an important demonstration of the exchanges and exchanges between various ethnic groups.
According to reports,.The four important achievements of this briefing further revealed the complex process of prehistoric culture development in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and demonstrated the history of ethnic exchanges and exchanges in Tibet. Under the framework of the “Archaeological China” major project, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage will continue to promote the archaeological work in Tibet, promote multidisciplinary cooperative research, and continuously deepen the research on important topics such as the prehistoric cultural development and environmental changes in Tibet, the Tubo culture, the Silk Road on the Plateau and the South Asian Corridor, so as to prove the history of exchanges and exchanges among ethnic groups in various regions of Tibet through archaeology and build a strong sense of community of the Chinese nation.
Experts attending the meeting commented on four archaeological achievements. The head of the Department of Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeology of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage attended the meeting. (Reporter Shangguan Yun)