Master Archaeologist

Chapter 350 The Relationship Between Xia, Shang, Zhou and Liangzhu

"Bold guess."

"Is there a possibility?"

"Liangzhu culture is the legendary Youchao clan?"

Chen Han murmured: "The lower limit of the Liangzhu culture is about 4300 to 4200 years ago. According to the Xia, Shang and Zhou dating projects, the upper limit of the Xia age is estimated to be 2070 BC."

"There is a difference of 200 years."

"And 4200 years ago, the Qijia culture appeared in the Gansu region of the northwest land, and the jade ware represented by the jade cong and the typical dry-column-style buildings in the Liangzhu region appeared."

"The reason for the demise of the Liangzhu culture has now been clarified. It is about 4200 years ago that a huge flood occurred in the Hangzhou Basin where the ancient city of Liangzhu is located."

"The entire Hangzhou Basin was flooded, forming a flood layer more than one meter thick. This area became unsuitable for human life, and the ancient city of Liangzhu has since disappeared."

"Is there a possibility that because of the flood, the ancestors of the Liangzhu culture had to migrate northward, from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to Gansu?"

"Because along the way, whether it is the middle reaches of the Yangtze River or the Yellow River region, 4200 years ago, there were already many other cultures and tribal rule."

"Liangzhu people can only go north all the way to Gansu, an unoccupied area, and then live in Gansu."

"After another 200 years, Yu from the Qi family culture moved east with his father Gun when he was young, and came to the Central Plains."

"Because Liangzhu people are good at water conservancy projects from generation to generation, which has been passed down for thousands of years, so Shun took a fancy to it and asked them to control the water?"

"You know, Dayu's flood control has always been a legend in China, and the place of birth is also controversial. Not only the Sichuan people say that they are the Qiang people, but even the XJ people say that they were born in Kunlun! No less than ten provinces in the country are vying for Dayu's birth. Land and former residence!"

"But Dayu's mausoleum is very unified, in Shaoxing, Zhejiang!"

"It is also said in the history books that Dayu met the princes in Kuaiji. Why did the Xia Dynasty of the Central Plains at that time have an alliance with the princes (tribal leaders) in Kuaiji?"

"If you don't go home when you are rich, it's like walking at night in brocade clothes!"

The more Chen Han said, the brighter his eyes became, and the more he felt that his guess was very valid.

First of all, there is not much difference between the establishment of the Xia Dynasty and the disappearance of the Liangzhu Culture.

Moreover, the Liangzhu culture in the Jiangnan region had water conservancy projects earlier than Dayu's. If Dayu was a descendant of Liangzhu, it would be a good explanation for his ability to solve the problem of flooding in the Yellow River, because Liangzhu culture's research on water is better than that in the Central Plains. Be proficient.

Secondly, Dayu met the princes in Kuaiji. According to previous understanding, the area ruled by Dayu in his time had nothing to do with Jiangnan. Why did he come to Kuaiji for a meeting?
The alliance must be in its own territory!But if the reason is that Dayu himself is a descendant of Liangzhu people, because he became the boss in the Central Plains and went back to his hometown to show off, it seems to make sense all of a sudden.

Finally, according to the history books, after the fall of Xia, the descendants of Xia established the Yue Kingdom, which happened to be in Kuaiji, why not in another place?

"Historical Records" records that its ancestor was Wuyu, the concubine son of Shaokang, the monarch of the Xia Dynasty, and one of the direct descendants of Dayu.

Yue State, Qi State, Zang State, and Bao State were all enfeoffed by the descendants of Dayu.

And the locations of these small countries are all in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Why did the descendants of Dayu all go to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to be entrusted?

"Wuyue Spring and Autumn" believes: "At least Kang, fearing that Yu's ancestral temple will be sacrificed, he entrusted his concubine son to Yue, and called him Wuyu.

What does that mean.

It was because Shaokang was afraid that the tomb of Dayu in Kuaiji would be left unattended for the sacrifices in the ancestral temple, so he sealed his youngest son to Kuaiji.

If Dayu is a descendant from the Liangzhu culture.

It seems to be able to explain why the Xia culture inherited so many things from the Liangzhu culture.

First, the capital regulations of all subsequent dynasties including the Xia Dynasty originated from the ancient city of Liangzhu.

The ancient city of Liangzhu has obvious functional divisions, and it is the beginning of China's three-fold national capital, which was followed by all later dynasties.

Second, the etiquette system of the "Six Utensils of China", including the Xia Dynasty, originated from the Liangzhu Culture.

The tombs of King Fanshan in the ancient city of Liangzhu and the tombs of Yaoshan Mountain can be seen in the "six vessels" of the Zhou rituals of later generations.

And it is precisely the six vessels of Cangbi, Huangcong, Baihu, Qinggui, Chizhang, and Xuanhuang, both in color and shape, which completely match the records in the "Zhou Li" of later generations.

The Zhou people had never seen the ancient city of Liangzhu nearly 3000 years before their time. Their ancient records and the six jade utensils actually sacrificed were exactly the same as the six jade utensils unearthed in the ancient city of Liangzhu in terms of color and shape. What does this mean?
It can only show that the Chinese six-vessel ritual system was invented by Liangzhu and passed down to all subsequent dynasties including Zhou.

Third, the clothing culture of later generations of China, including the Xia Dynasty, originated from Liangzhu.

Liangzhu nobles wore silk clothes and jade articles.Ancient books are called jade silk.

"Zuo Zhuan · Ai Gong Seven Years": Yu united the princes in Tushan, holding jade and silk to all nations.

The Xia Dynasty used "Jade and Silk" as the "Six Rui" to show the rank.

"Preface to the Book of History" also has a record that "Yu did not leave the Kyushu, followed the mountains to dredge the river, and let the soil be the tribute", and Xie Wanguo paid jade and silk as tribute," the records of the vassal states expressed their submission.

Liangzhu nobles wore high crowns, and the unearthed statues of Liangzhu gods all wore high crowns. This style of dressing is the earliest source of Chinese clothing and crown rituals.

Liangzhu also discovered the earliest jade belt hook for fastening silk robes.

The jade belt hook is a symbolic ornament of Chinese clothing and crown ceremony, and it has been used until the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Another characteristic of Liangzhu civilization is the jade comb back.

The back of the jade comb was used to be inserted into the hair buns of Liangzhu nobles, in the shape of a bird, and was extended to the folks in later generations.

The comb shape is still the same today.

The clothing and crown culture of Liangzhu was inherited by all dynasties after the Xia Dynasty. "Huainanzi·Qi Su Xun": "Three Miao heads, Qiang people include collars, and Chinese crowns", which shows that Huaxia people should wear robes and high crowns. It is different from the Qiang and Miao people.

And the Liangzhu culture can be found, the earliest ancestors in robes and crowns.

The earliest Gebu was also discovered in Qianshanyang, Huzhou.

浙江余杭横山M2出土的2件玉纺轮，余杭钵衣山遗址M2出土的1件玉纺轮，江苏吴县张陵山东山M1出土的1件玉纺轮。

A set of jade spinning wheels unearthed from Yaoshan M11 in Yuhang and a set of jade end decorations of loom parts unearthed from Fanshan M1.

And a pottery pot with 1 silkworm patterns carved on the abdomen unearthed from the Yuanjiadai site in Meiyan, Wujiang, Jiangsu.

The jade silkworm moth unearthed from the Zhanglingshan site in Wuxian County, Jiangsu Province, is even more convincing evidence of the occurrence of sericulture and large-scale silk weaving in the Liangzhu culture.

It can be confirmed that the Chinese clothing culture created by the Liangzhu culture has been passed down to all subsequent dynasties.

And these cultures that exist in Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties are almost certainly transmitted from Liangzhu, or influenced by Liangzhu.

However, there is a gap of 200 years between the time of Liangzhu's demise and the time of Xia's creation.

Let's put it this way, 200 years seems like nothing in modern times.

But in that era when civilization was in its infancy and writing was immature, 200 years was enough for people to forget many things.

Only when Liangzhu’s surviving descendants passed it on orally, and some survivors continued to pass it on, could Liangzhu’s culture not be interrupted.

And the only possibility for this part of the adherents to influence the Xia, Shang and Zhou cultures of later generations is to become the high-level Xia culture.

This is why Chen Han guessed that Dayu was a descendant from Liangzhu!
This can explain why the Central Plains dynasty after Xia had so many connections with Liangzhu!
(End of this chapter)