The Research On The Application Of Science And Technology In The Xanadu Site

The Xanadu site is located in20kilometers northeast of Zhenglan QiBanner, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia. With continuous hills in the north,Luanhe River in the south and grassland in the east and west, Shangdu is acapital city built in the middle of13th century by a northern nomadic regimein accordance with the traditional city models such as "back mountain surfacewater" and “triple city pattern” of the central plains. As a world culturalheritage site, the Xanadu witnessed the whole process of the rise and fall ofthe Yuan dynasty and the historical facts of cultural exchange between theeast and the west and the integration of the north and south in13-14century.As a landmark of bicultural model, the Xanadu carries some importantinformation of history, science, art and culture left by human activity, thus hasbeen paid great attention by the historians and archaeologists.So far the research on science and technology achievement of theXanadu is relatively abundant, but the researchers always either lookarchaeology of science and technology as the application of modern scienceand technology, or study it from the perspective of literature and historicaldata, which separating the research field and scope of application of theancient and modern science and technology in different degrees and leadingto the slightly lack of systematicness and comprehensiveness of the researchon the application of science and technology in the Xanadu site. Thecharacteristic of the research on the application of science and technologyboth in ancient and modern time should be identified as inherent unity andmutual certificateaticness and comprehensiveness of the archaeologicalresearch on the Xanadu.Based on this situation, the author combines the applications of ancient and modern science and technology, takes immovable cultural relics such ascity walls, gates, moats, base addresses of architectures and movable culturalrelics such as ceramics, golden and stone objects as carriers, takes the erabackground into consideration, uses the application of ancient and modernscience and technology in different periods as installment basis, and draws aconclusion with the "double textual research method". With the proof ofrepresentative objects and typical research results, the author discusses thecity planning, engineering construction, craft level, and interprets thescientific and technological achievements and development level of theXanadu. Through the comprehensive and systematical research on applicationof science and technology in archaeological investigation, exploration andexcavation, such as aviation remote sensing, geophysical exploration, GPSsatellite surveying and mapping, physical anthropology and DNA research,plant sporopollen analysis of ecological environment, digital3d scanning,etc., the author also studies the current situation and ancient landscape of theXanadu from macroscopic to microcosmic, from surface to inner. The authorfurther explores the historical background, ideology and social structure of theYuan dynasty, the scientific protection of the remains in Xanadu site,interprets the outstanding universal value of the Xanadu, and shows thesignificance of the protection, exhibition and promotion of ancient culturalheritages.Based on the sufficient archaeological research work on the site, firstly,the author studies the site planning and architectural engineering technology,and summarizes the characteristics of urban construction in the Yuan Dynasty,believing that the city construction of the Xanadu combines the ancientChinese capital construction mode with the nomadic characteristics ofMongolian,reflecting the traditional concepts such as etiquette, syncretismbetween heaven and man, and Yin-yang five elements, creating a complete setof urban construction system, embodying the value orientation of the Yuanpeople. Secondly, the author focuses on the protection of cultural heritagewith the implementation of modern science and technology， not only demonstrates the result of macroscopic survey, such as the use of remotesensing and GPS-RTK equipment to discuss the level of city constructiontechnology, the geophysical exploration of important bases for engineeringconstruction, road, palace to arguments the technological level of architecture,but studies the micro ecological environment, such as studying the climateand environmental conditions of the Xanadu through the plant sporopollenanalysis, the craft technology through metallographic structure analysistesting, the traditional protection technology through3d digital scanning. Atthe same time, through the study on the physical anthropology and DNAtesting results, the communication between different races and ethnic in theprocess of urban construction are also discussed. Thirdly, the author attachesgreat importance to the human behavior and ideology while focuses onmaterial remains. By combining the historical materials with the scientific andtechnological achievements, the author discusses the cultural connotation andvalue of the Xanadu, and analysis the thoughts and emotions and ideology ofYuan people, which is the final foothold of this thesis.Combining the results of ancient and modern means of science andtechnology, the author divides the archaeological research on science andtechnology of the Xanadu into three periods and five sections, in each stage,the development and application of science and technology are summarized,also are the thoughts view and national concept reflected. This articledemonstrates the historical background of Xanadu, the nomadic regime’s cityplanning thoughts and urban construction craft and aesthetic, and the typicalurban characteristics of Xanadu with the combination of the prairiecivilization and farming civilization. By the historical research of all ethnicgroups, the author details the historical process of mutual fusion betweenvarious nationalities, tries to restore the transformation from military fightgradually into common governance between Han and Mongolian, anddiscuss the bicultural characteristics and their influence on urban pattern.With the perspective of archaeology, the author interprets the history ofXanadu, reveals the different roles of ancient and modern science and technology, and hopes to achieve the purpose of serving the reality and thefuture. In the inheritance of the excellent historical and cultural heritage ofChinese nation and the essence of the ancient science and technology, weshould also pay much attention to the function of modern technology in theancient world heritage protection, enhance historical sense of responsibilityand the cognition to the concept of culture, strengthen the national identityand self-confidence, and promote the coordinated development of the ancientcultural heritage and social reality. Through the archaeological research on thescience and technology in the Xanadu Site, the author hopes to provide strongevidence for our country’s national unity and harmonious coexistence, offerspiritual motivation and intellectual support for enhancing national cohesion,and conduct some beneficial attempt and reference for the ancient culturalheritage protection and sustainable development theory.