Recherches historiques préliminaires sur les Saka du Xinjiang ancien

Abstract

This article deals with a preliminary historical research on the Saka people in ancient Xinjiang, that has been published in 1985 by the Xinjiang Review of Social Sciences. The author, Pr. Wang Binghua, Institute of Archaeology, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, is known for his studies on the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age periods, and on the problem of nomadic populations (Wusun, Xiongnu, Saka) in north-western China. The principal importance of this paper lies in the fact that it is not only based on the historical, classical littérature, but also on archaeological studies (part II), even when dealing with questions treated by Hanshu concerning the Saka people (part I) . The archaelogical studies in question concern new finds, particulary important for the comparative work in Central Asia, mostly unknown in the West. The author presents three main groups of finds : the first one is the necropolis of Alagou, near Urumqi, where numerous gold objects with animal decorations and some bronzes, such as a pedestal supporting animals, have been found, resembling those found in the Soviet Union ; the second one is a set of bronzes discovered in the Hi, containing a cauldron, a statue of a warrior, a pedestal... ; the third, an ancient copper mine in the region of III, dated around 2500 B.P., contained ingots, slags and stone tools. In part III of this study, Wang Binghua presents comparisons with other finds in Central Asia and gives certain interpretations regarding the ethnical attribution of the archaeological materials to the Saka people. In part IV, the author questions the nature and importance of the information obtained through archaeological research concerning the history of Saka people, such as the geographical repartition, the social and economic way of life (particulary metallurgy and husbandry), the importance of gold, stylistics, relations with the Saka branches in other parts of Central Asia and also with Chinese culture. In part V, he gives two additional examples of vestiges which have been related to the Saka people in Xinjiang : the first one is the necropolis of Xiangbabai in Pamir; the second contains two necropolis in the Lopnor region. Both of these two examples refer to remains attributed to the Saka people, but perhaps to another branch of this population.