A Study Of Meishan Culture

This paper takes Meishan Culture as the research subject and makes a comprehensive and systematic study on its definition,chronology,date,regional types,origins,development,interaction with other surrounding contemporaneous cultures,reverberation,and its relationship with the“Xia”.The paper consists of the introduction,seven chapters,and the conclusion.The introduction is a literary review of the previous archaeological discoveries as well as scholarships on Meishan Culture.Based on this examination,this paper proposes the main research question and mission.The first chapter defines the Meishan Culture.By comparing materials with those of Wangwan Phase III,this paper confirmed the accuracy of the name“Meishan Culture”.Besides,it demonstrates that this culture should include remains in Yuhuicun,Wangyoufang,Nandang,Yangzhuang Phase II,Luanshitan,Xihuayuan,Xiaojiawuji,Shibanxiangzi,etc.Chapter two conducts the study of Meishan culture by stages,respectively according to its eight regional divisions:the Ru and Ying river basin,Southeastern Henan,Southwestern Henan and Northwestern Hubei,Northern Hubei,the Yangtze and Han river basin,Western Hubei,Eastern Henan and Northern Anhui,as well as the Eastern Yangtze and Huai river basin.The third chapter integrates the corresponding relationship among the phases of each regional division into five phases of the culture.Phase I and II combine as Stage I,the Early Stage.Phase III and IV incorporate as Stage II,the Middle Stage.Phase V equals to Stage III,the Late Stage.After that,this paper conveys a comprehensive survey on the chronology of Meishan Culture based on C₁₄ data.Thereupon,it demonstrates the date of Meishan Culture as clustering in 2500-1900 BCE,in which the Early Stage in 2500-2300 BCE,the Middle Stage in 2300-2000 BCE,and the Late Stage in 2000-1900 BCE.Lastly,it concludes the evolution of Meishan Culture's territories and regional variations among different stages.Chapter four discusses the cultural transformation in the Central Plain between the late Yangshao period to the early Longshan period,before the formation of Meishan Culture,which reaches the statement that the date of Wangwan Phase II,Period IV,Ligou Phase II,Tanxiaoguan Phase IV,Xishan Type VII,Dahecun Phase V,Gushuihe Phase III,Taiwang Phase I,etc.instead of being as late as early Longshan period,is as early as the Qinwangzhai Culture,because painted earthenware are still extensively discovered there.During the early Longshan period,under the exhilarating influence from Yuchisi Type of Dawenkou Culture who is moving westward,Qianhoutun Type belonging to Dawankou Culture is formed in the Ru and Ying river basin,which puts the former cultural tradition of Qinwangzhai Culture to an end.Based on the above,the paper studies how the two regional types of early Meishan Culture,the Haojiatai Type and the Yuhuicun Type,succeed the cultural elements of Qianhoutun Type and Late Yuchisi Type,respectively,as well as absorbing those of Shandong Longshan Culture and Shijiahe Culture.Chapter Five delves into the interaction between Meishan Culture and its surrounding archaeological remains during its time of evolution.Firstly,the Meishan Culture,in its Early Stage,promotes the formation of Wangwan Phase III Culture,as well as receiving considerable impact from Shandong Longshan Culture and Shijiahe Culture.Secondly,when the Meishan Culture expands,in its Middle Stage,southward and eastward,occupying the eastern region of Yangtze and Huai river basin,and the large area in South China(south to the Ru and Ying river basin),its expansion of territories triggers the formation of regional variations,leading to new interactions with neighboring cultures and a novel cultural configuration.Thirdly,in the Late Stage,since the Xinzhai Phase of Erlitou Culture has already taken over the Ru and Ying river basin,extruding the Meishan Culture previously presents in this area,the relationship between the cultures around the Yellow River and Meishan Culture inevitably changes.Meanwhile,the relationship between cultures around the Yangtze River and Meishan Culture generally maintain the same as the previous stage.The sixth chapter investigates the repercussion of Meishan Culture in its Middle and Late Stages.The remains in the eastern range of Mount Song,which belongs to the Ru and Ying Type who does not continue after the Middle Stage,is the first to transform to Xinzhai Type of Erlitou Culture under the impact of Wangyoufang Type and the Hougang Phase II Culture.This influence proceeds northward and southward,resulting in the establishment of Huadizui Type in the Luoyang basin and the Puchengdian Type in most areas of the Ru and Ying region.Both of these two types belong to the Erlitou Culture.Moreover,among the other seven types that last until the Late Stage,Wangyoufang Type in the Eastern Henan and Northern Anhui,as well as the Nandang Type in the Eastern Yangtze and Huai river basin,are replaced by the Yueshi Culture.The rest five types'whereabouts remain in doubt,which requires discoveries to compensate the lacunae between the materials of their Late Stage of Meishan Culture and those of the later period of Phase II of Erlitou Culture.Chapter Seven discourses the relationship between archaeological findings and the pivotal historical events of the Early Xia by taking into consideration of previous scholarship on the geopolitics and chronology of early Xia Dynasty deriving mostly from textual evidence.Consequently,this paper infers the relationship between the Meishan Type of Meishan Culture and Xia,as well as the constitution of people in other types.The conclusion summarizes the achievement of this paper,indicates its deficiency,and provides prospects for researches in the future.