The Study On The Ancient Nomadic Archaeological Remains In Mazong Mountainous Area

The Mazong mountainous area in which has an extremely important status and function in the ancient nomadic activities, migrations and exchanges is also an important channel from both East to West and South to North.Its vital role in the nomadic culture research of northern China steppes and even in the entire Eurasian steppes can not be ignored. Many ancient nomadic archaeological remains have remained in this area now becoming important clues in search of the nomadic cultures once existed here. However, archaeological investigation, excavation and research work here ever since were at a blank condition nearly. From the end of July to the end of August, 2004, the union archeological team which composed of the Northwest University cultural heritage and the archaeology research center and the Gansu Province cultural relic institute of archaeology has carried on a month-long comprehensive investigation here, and later, moreover, has done a little of excavating work. Through investigating and excavating, we discovered massive nomadic archaeological remains and the rule of their distribution, setting up a good foundation for further study. At present, work of sorting out data has been its last act, on which is just this paper is based.Then, I have been writing this paper to make a systematic research on the nomadic archaeological remains in this area and promulgate the cultural element these remains contain. The work is not only an important part of the archaeological investigation and research work of the nomadic remains in northwest area,but also has a positive influence on the research work of that in entire north steppes.The full text comprises four chapters besides the conclusion part. The first chapter introduces briefly the environment of Mazong mountainous area and the former archaeology works as well as the material obtained from archaeology investigation in 2004. The second and third chapter are main body of this paper. Of which, the second chapter mainly conducts the classified research about different kind remains, including rock paintings, graves and stone settlements. After the case of Qiongkeke rock paintings, I once again introduce the typological method to the rock painting research. Meanwhile, on the grave preliminary classified research, more attention has been paid onto the human bones material appraisal result already textile appraisal result. Based on the second chapter, the cultural element analytic method is applied to each kind of remain in the third chapter. The rock paintings, graves and stone settlements have been divided into different cultural elements. The fourth chapter is the key part of this paper. According to the cultural element combination relations, the nomadic archaeological remains in this area can be divided into four groups, then we make use of the literature records and correlating archaeological materials to see the time and ethic of each group. According to detailed analyses,an initial conclusion can be made that the first period of the nomadic archaeological remains here maybe belong to the Yuegongtai-Xiheigou sites around the 5 centuries B.C. which represents Rouzhi culture relics before moving westward. During the Chunqiu and Warring States Period, this area was eastern boundary zone of Rouzhi culture and because of natural environment characteristic here, the sites are small in scale and have a dispersible distribution. Compared with the center area of the Rouzhi culture, the quantity of relics here is fewer. The second period of that is very likely belong to the period between 2 centuries B.C. intermediate stages and the A.D. around, when the "original Hun" culture, which has been found in Mongolian Plateau and Trans-Bajkal Region with absorbing in Tagar culture and the Erdos bronze culture,then forming the great Hun empire, expanded toward northeast Gansu Province and eastern area of Xinjiang Province to turn out Rouzhi. The few singles in rock paintings maybe belong to the third period may result from the influence of the later period Turbu culture and the Mongolian empire culture.This paper is written with the aim of once again exploring and attempting the research method about nomadic culture remains. It proves again that it is practical to combine with three unions of the nomadic culture remains as a whole, then study the cultural characteristics and cultural elements, finally make a clear see to their time and ethic.