The Archaeological Interpretation of the Determining Criteria and Developmental Path of Chinese Civilization

Abstract

The research findings of the project of tracing the origins of Chinese civilization substantiate China’s million years of human history, 10,000-plus years of cultural history, and 5,000-plus years of civilizational history. Cities and capitals have been the foremost tangible embodiment throughout the formation and development of Chinese civilization. By examining the sites of ancient Chinese capitals and palaces, noting the transition from “shrines side by side with palaces” to “the imperial ancestral shrine on the left and the altar to the gods of earth and grain on the right,” and observing the evolution from “dual axis” to “central axis” in city planning, we can delve into the cultural genes that have shaped the development of Chinese civilization. Throughout history, China’s first inhabitants and their descendants have forged strong traditions of ancestral identification, the unity and commensurability of family and state, and identification with the state. Characterized by powerful cohesiveness and inclusiveness, these traditions form the subtly ingrained and daily practiced cultural genes of Chinese civilization. They are the fundamental reasons behind the enduring continuity of Chinese civilization for over 5,000 years.