The Qiantang River surges, and never ceases. Zhejiang, a land that ignited the dawn of civilization with the fire of rice cultivation, wrote the legend of the Silk Road with the shadows of sails in the harbor. The Paper learned that the "Zhejiang Treasures-2024 Archaeological Achievement Exhibition" will be open to the public at the Gushan Museum of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum on March 22. The 2024 Zhejiang Archaeological Important Discoveries are 26 selected from 148 excavation projects. More than 400 cultural relics unearthed from these sites are displayed here in a cluster, outlining the magnificent long scroll of ten thousand years of cultural history with the pen of archaeology.
The exhibition constructs the time and space with four chapters. As the annual grand event of "Zhejiang Archaeology Oscar", it is not only a centralized review of the archaeological achievements in 2024, but also an innovative practice of the revitalization and utilization of cultural heritage. These "treasures" buried deep underground will enter the public eye through the exhibition, realizing the cultural mission of "bringing cultural relics to life".
Close-up of the Xiatang Site in Zhejiang (from west to east) (Photo courtesy of Zhejiang Archaeology)
New evidence of civilization: new archaeological discoveries in prehistory
The lower reaches of the Yangtze River is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization. This unit focuses on the groundbreaking discoveries of Zhejiang's prehistoric civilization between 11,000 and 4,000 years ago. The Xiatang site spans the entire Neolithic Age, proving the history of civilization for thousands of years; the discovery of early large-scale rice cultivation at the Huangchaodun site is new material for exploring the origin of rice-growing civilization; the Wenxi site completes the historical puzzle of Hemudu culture; the Xiaoxiongshan and Xianshengwan sites in southwest Zhejiang enrich the study of the Haochuan cultural settlement... These discoveries further improve the pedigree of Zhejiang's prehistoric culture, and with rice-growing civilization, settlement planning, and the budding of rituals as the main line, prove that the lower reaches of the Yangtze River are not only the cradle of rice-growing civilization, but also lay the foundation for the multi-integrated pattern of Chinese civilization.
Xianju Xiatang Site: Pottery Gui-shaped Vessel
Ningbo Zhenhai Wenxi Site·Bone Plow
Changxing Xin'an Site Pottery Spinning Wheel
Yunhe Xianshengwan Site - Pottery Goblet
The splendor of Yue: new archaeological discoveries from the Shang and Zhou dynasties
Zhejiang is the former site of the Yue Kingdom. This unit uses seven sites to reveal the cultural features of the Yue land during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The remains of the Maqiao culture at the Gulin Village site provide new materials for the culture of the Shang and Zhou dynasties north of the Qiantang River; the Warring States platform at the Fujiazhi site has both military and smelting functions, which may be related to the "Guling City" mentioned in the literature; the Yue State wells and horse pits at the Jizhong site confirm the fact that Goujian built the capital... These discoveries connect the life trajectories of the ancestors of the Yue land with evidence of urban construction, military defense, grassroots settlements and cross-regional interactions, providing a key link for exploring Zhejiang during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
Bronze cymbals from the site of Gulin Village in Linping, Hangzhou
Bronze spears at the Fujiazhi site in Hangzhou
Southeast China: New Archaeological Discoveries from the Han and Tang Dynasties
Zhejiang was the core hub of the booming civilization in the southeast during the Han and Tang Dynasties. The Jiuli Ancient Tombs connect the Yue Tombs of the Warring States Period to the Zhu Family Cemetery of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, reflecting the history of the funeral system; the pile revetments and sesame cellars at the Xunnan site, the Yue architecture at the Baicaoyuan site, and the dog bone remains of the Six Dynasties reveal the development of wetlands in the south of the Yangtze River and the coastal livelihood model; the Eastern Han Dynasty dragon kiln in Sanwan, Wuxing, and the Six Dynasties portrait bricks in Gangshan Village, Shengzhou, restore the transformation of celadon and the production and sales chain of tomb bricks... These discoveries, with the changes in tombs, ceramic production and ecological adaptation as the main lines, outline the civilization process of Zhejiang from Yue culture to imperial cities during the Han and Tang Dynasties.
Shaoxing Jiuli Cemetery·Bronze Mirror with Mythical Beast Pattern
Sanwan Kiln Site Group in Wuxing, Huzhou, Pottery Sculptures
The ruins of Gangshan Village in Shengzhou: Bricks with a picture of a fisherman
Symphony of Land and Sea: New Archaeological Discoveries from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties
Zhejiang was the core of the intersection of land and sea civilizations during the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Wuyue Yijin City was built with a planning and design that integrated "mountains, water and cities"; the "well"-shaped box and pottery jar foundation of the Northern Song Dynasty pagoda base of Jiaxing Dongta Temple demonstrated the superb technology of soft soil construction in the south of the Yangtze River; Wenzhou Shuomen Ancient Port revealed 13 Tang and Song Dynasty docks, a nine-cabin shipwreck in the Northern Song Dynasty and a anti-rolling water tank structure, which verified the magnificent scene of marine trade of "five gates through the river"... These discoveries reveal the civilization symphony of Zhejiang from urban planning to architectural technology, from seaport trade to protecting the territory in four dimensions: city, port, architecture and coastal defense.
Jiaxing Dongta Temple Ruins·Stone Bodhisattva Seated Statue
Linhai Fenghuangshan Kiln Site and Celadon Porcelain Furnace
Wenzhou Shuomen Ancient Port Site·Green Glaze Porcelain
Exhibition poster
The exhibition is guided by the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau, hosted by the Zhejiang Provincial Archaeological Society, undertaken by the Zhejiang Provincial Museum and the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and co-organized by the Hangzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Ningbo Cultural Heritage Management Institute, Wenzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Shaoxing Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Zhejiang University School of Art and Archaeology, and Zhejiang University City College School of Art and Archaeology. The exhibition will last until May 25.
(The pictures and texts in this article are provided by Zhejiang Provincial Museum)