So far, there is no solid material about Xia culture like oracle bone inscriptions, and it is difficult to identify the relics of Xia culture. Therefore, in the Xia annals, the archaeological culture distributed in the main ruling areas of the Xia Dynasty in the literature has naturally become an important object to explore Xia culture. The chronology of the Xia Dynasty has always been controversial. The current chronology of Xia Dynasty is from the 21st century BC to the 16th century BC.
It is said that the capital of the Xia Dynasty and many places where important historical events took place are quite different in the records of ancient literature, and the textual research of later scholars is also very different. However, the central area ruled by Xia Dynasty was in western Henan, especially in Luoyang plain, Yi, Luo and Ying River basins, and the middle and lower reaches of Fen River in southern Shanxi, especially in Fen, Hui and Su River basins.
At present, the academic exploration of Xia culture has gradually focused on Erlitou culture. Erlitou culture got its name from the excavation of Erlitou site in Yanshi, Henan Province. Erlitou culture can be divided into two types: one is Erlitou site in Yanshi, Henan Province, and the other is Dongxiafeng site in Xiaxian, Shanxi Province. There are many similarities and differences between Dongxiafeng type and Erlitou type, so they are two local types of the same culture.
① Archaeology of new China, red flag, No.17, 1962.
② Xia Xian Dong Xia Feng, cultural relics press, 1988.
The Erlitou site can be divided into four development stages according to the chronological order and the change of cultural connotation. The unearthed specimens are determined by carbon 14, and the ages of the first to fourth periods are about 1900-1600 BC. The data of Dongxiafeng site is later than that of Erlitou site. The ages of the two are generally within the scope of the Xia chronology.
Dozens of Erlitou type sites have been found, mainly in western Henan. In addition to the Erlitou site in Yanshi, the sites excavated or trial excavated include qilipu in Shanxian County, DongGangOu, Kuili, dongmagou, huizui and Gaoya in Luoyang, Yucun in Dengfeng, Lushi temple in Mianchi, Linru coal mountain, Shangjie and Luoda temple in Zhengzhou, xiawanggang in Zhechuan, etc.
There are many records about Xia people's activities in western Henan in ancient literature. "Yi Zhou Shu Du Yi Jie" says: "since Luo Luo extended to Yi Luo, Ju Yi had no solid, it had the residence of Xia." Zhu youzeng said in volume 5 of yizhoushu Jixun Xueshi: "Luoluo, the place where Luoshui enters the river is in the north of Gongxian County, Henan Province. Yiluo, where Yishui enters, is located in Wuli, southwest of Yanshi County, Henan Province. " According to the index of zhoubenji in historical records, it is said that "the words come from Luoji and Yiji, where the land is easy and there is no danger. It is the old residence of Xia". "Guoyu · zhouyushang" also said: "xiyiluo exhausted and summer died.". The above records and textual research clearly show that the Yi and Luo areas in Henan Province are exactly where the Xia people lived in the past. The distribution range of Erlitou type sites is just in line with the location of "Youxia residence".
Dozens of Dongxiafeng type sites are also found in Yuncheng and Linfen basins in southern Shanxi. The excavated sites include Xiaxian Dongxiafeng, Yongji dongmaputou, Yicheng ganjun and Xiangfen nandachai. Jinnan is known as "summer market". "Zuo Zhuan · the fourth year of Duke Ding" says: "divide uncle Tang to the main road It was ordered by Tang Gao and granted to Xia Xu. " Fu Qian said, "the summer is between Fen and Hui." Shuyu was the first emperor of Jin State. His place was in Xiaxu, which was the hometown of the ancient Tang state. Shuyu was named Tang Shuyu when he was granted Tang Dynasty. It is recorded in historical records of the Jin family: "King Wu died, King Cheng established, Tang Dynasty had chaos, Duke Zhou killed Tang Dynasty So he was granted the title of Uncle Yu in Tang Dynasty. Tang Dynasty is located in the east of Hefen, which is a hundred miles away, so it is called Tang Shuyu. " Xu Xusheng, an expert in ancient history, has made a detailed textual research on the location of Xia ruins. He thinks that "the Xia ruins referred to in Zuo Zhuan should be in the southwest of Shanxi". Dongxiafeng type sites are distributed in the south of Shanxi, roughly in Fenshui, Huishui and Sushui river basins, which is consistent with the location of Xiaxu.
The age of wangwan type of Longshan culture, determined by C 14, is about 2300 BC to 2000 BC. Wangwan type is distributed in the Yishui and Luoshui river basins with Luoyang as the center. The main sites are Luoyang wangwan, Kuili, Mengjin xiaopangou, Yanshi Gaoya, Linru coal mountain and Dengfeng Wangchenggang. During the excavation of the wangwan site, a large number of representative materials were obtained. 2. The wangwan type was named after it. The distribution area of wangwan type is roughly the same as that of Erlitou culture in the early period. In the stratigraphic relationship, the wangwan type is directly superimposed under the first stage of Erlitou culture. The first stage of Erlitou culture is closely related to the wangwan type. Therefore, the late wangwan type should also be included in the category of exploring Xia culture. The distribution area of Longshan culture pottery Temple type is concentrated in Linfen basin in southern Shanxi, Yicheng, Quwo, Xiangfen, Houma, Xinjiang and other places. Its area is also within the scope of "summer ruins". The types of Taosi can be divided into early, middle and late periods. It started and ended from 2500 BC to 1900 BC. If so, the late type of Taosi is also an important object to explore Xia culture. Nandachai site belongs to Erlitou culture Dongxiafeng type, and Taosi site is under the jurisdiction of Xiangfen county. The two places are separated by Fenhe River from east to west, only 15 kilometers away. The type of Taosi in Longshan culture is earlier than that in Erlitou culture. However, the excavation data of nandachai site show that the cultural features of Dongxiafeng type and Taosi type are quite different, and there is no obvious inheritance relationship between them. It can be seen that the development of the type of Taosi has been restrained, and its direction is still unclear. Dongxiafeng type did not directly inherit the local Longshan culture, but developed from Erlitou culture in western Henan.
① A preliminary report on the investigation of Xiaxu in the west of Henan Province in 1959, archaeology, 1959, No.11.
② Excavation report of Luoyang wangwan site, archaeology, 1961, issue 4.
① Excavation Bulletin of Dachai site, archaeology, 1987, No.7.
Some archaeological cultures in remote areas, such as the Qijia culture in Ganqing area, are about 2000 years ago according to carbon 14. Although they are generally within the Xia Dynasty, because of the distribution of this culture, it is not the main activity area of the Xia people, and its ancestors do not belong to the Xia nationality, so they are not in the category of exploring Xia culture.
