The Archaeological Discovery And Research Overview Of The Western Zhou Dynasty In Anhui Jianghuai Region

There are two main rivers——Huai river and the Yangtze river——in the yangtze-huaihe region of Anhui province. Due to its superb geographical environment and diverse natural resources, this region is treated as the ideal region for the development of human civilization. This place has been considered consistently as the transitional zone where the northern culture interacts and integrates with the southern culture. Over a long period of the development, the Yangtze-Huaihe region of Anhui province is always open-minded and has been assimilating all kinds of exterior cultural factors, so the cultural collision of the exterior culture and the ingredient culture promotes the formation of the unique characteristics of archaeological culture remains. During the Bronze Age, when the ancient Chinese civilization developed towards the unification, the cultural integration and synthesis of all aspects of the culture was particularly conspicuous. From the Western Zhou dynasty to the early and middle Spring and Autumn Period, as an important channel of North-South economic and cultural interaction, Anhui Jianghuai region was the most prosperous culture with significant local features, although it was affected by the Zhou State, the South Eastern Tribes and various cultural factors.Based on abundant archaeological materials and literature, this paper mainly uses the methodology of the stratigraphy and typology to analyzes the excavated pottery excavated from some significant sites, such as Dachengdun site in Hanshan, Wudadun site in Feidong, Xiuxiedun site in Luan, Yandun site, Heying site in Chuzhou and so on, thereby preliminarily building the cultural evolution sequence of this area in the Western Zhou dynasty. After that, through making a comparison with those similar potteries that are excavated in the Zhongyuan region, i.e. central plain of China, whose chronology sequence is quite clear, this paper proposes a relative chronology sequence of the research area. Secondly, through comparing with various cultural relics in the surrounding areas, this paper makes an analysis of cultural elements of relics in every phase. According to the different characteristics in different areas, the paper divides the whole region into four small areas, consisting of Anhui eastern area, Anhui central area, Anhui western area and Anhui south-west area.Finally, according to some literature and inscriptions on the bronze wares, this paper probes the relationship between the archaeological culture and the Huaiyi culture in the yangtze-huaihe region of Anhui province in the Western Zhou dynasty, confirming that this area is the central area in the Western Zhou dynasty. Further more, it analyzes the relationship between the Huaiyi culture and the Zhou culture in Western Zhou dynasty, and explains the reasons why the proportions of different cultural factors have changed in different phases.