Research On The Commercial Remains Of Yuan Shangdu

The historical and cultural site of Xanadu is not only important in Inner Mongolia area,but also the best preserved ancient capital site in China.It located on Mongolia Grassland,and therefore depended on itinerant merchants for maintaining daily life,in which business activity played an essential part.Along with the development of commodity economy and North-South trade,the Xanadu became one of traffic pivots and economic center on northern grassland in the Yuan Dynasty.Since the 1950 s,the Inner Mongolia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has made investigation and disinterment for many times in the Xanadu site,and discovered a lot of architectural and commercial remains,which were direct proof about economic prosperity of the Xanadu in the Yuan Dynasty.On the basis of Historical materials of literature,this thesis gets these remains reorganized comprehensively and concentrates on expounding the facts systematically,which were revealed by commodity economy of the day.It is composed of five parts.The introduction shows general situation of archaeological excavation over the years,current academic achievements,basis of selected topic and subject investigated.A taxonomic study on archaeological materials related with commercial activities is carried out in the following two chapters,including the sites such as commercial blocks,shops,inns and granaries,the relics such as gold or silver devices and bronze coins used in successive dynasties.The third chapter discusses the development and characteristics of commercial economy in Xanadu,which are reflected in commercial building ruins and unearthed relics,and explains the characteristics of commercial tax system in Xanadu.The fourth chapter sheds new light on the impact on the changing social life put by the commodity economy,which also promoted the exchange and integration of multiple ethnic cultures in Xanadu.The conclusion summarizes commercial relics and commodity economy in ancient Xanadu area.