On May 18 this year, the main venue of the International Museum in China was set up in the Beijing Grand Canal Museum (East Building of the Capital Museum). The important special exhibition that opened on the same day was "'Origin of Chinese Civilization' Series of Exhibitions: Seeing the Shang Dynasty".
The Paper saw at the opening of the exhibition today that this special exhibition brought together 338 pieces (sets) of precious cultural relics from 28 archaeological and museum units across the country, including oracle bones, bronzes, pottery, jades, etc., of which more than 50 pieces (sets) of first-level key cultural relics present a panoramic view of the Yin and Shang culture and reveal the secrets of Yin and Shang civilization. In the exhibition, a pair of bronze owl-shaped vessels unearthed from Yinxu and a pair of bronze Yachou-shaped axes unearthed from Subutun, Shandong, were reunited and exhibited together for the first time 50 years after they were unearthed. In addition, this year's movie "Nezha 2" became a hit, and a surprise "easter egg" was specially set up at the end of the exhibition, using the props involved in "Nezha 2" as clues to exhibit the prototypes of its cultural relics.
Chinese civilization is the only great civilization in the world that has continued uninterrupted and developed to this day in the form of a country. For the Shang Dynasty, "it can be traced back to the Xia Dynasty and continued to the Zhou Dynasty", which was crucial in the early Chinese civilization and the formation of the country. More and more archaeological discoveries have made people gradually realize that the Yin and Shang Dynasty was not only the peak of China's Bronze Age civilization, but also inherited the trend of more than a thousand years of the integration of civilizations from all directions, and opened up a pattern of more than three thousand years of continuous, diverse and integrated civilization, which had a profound impact on the basic direction of Chinese society for thousands of years.
Exhibition site
The exhibition content is divided into four parts: "Books and Classics", "Bronze Peak", "Center and Growth", and "Model for Future Generations". It starts with the lineage of the Shang kings, and then displays the production, life, social organization and spiritual life of the Shang Dynasty. Finally, it shows the historical status of the Shang Dynasty in the origin of Chinese civilization.
The territorial map of the Shang Dynasty: central area, secondary area, and influence area
"Central and Great": Seeing the Unity of China from Oracle Bone Inscriptions and Bronze Ware
It is reported that the Shang Dynasty was mainly focused on "the residence of Xia" in the early period. As its power expanded, the Shang culture area also expanded greatly. In the middle period of the Shang Dynasty, its scope was roughly from the Taiyi Mountains in Shandong in the east to Qishan and Fufeng in the western part of Guanzhong in Shaanxi in the west to the Great Wall in the north and across the Yangtze River in the south. Song Zhenhao, a member of the Academic Division of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out: "The territory of the Shang Dynasty was like concentric circles, expanding outward layer by layer, and the political and geographical structure was manifested in three levels: 'Royal Capital - Four Lands - Four Boundaries'."
In addition to the Yinxu Museum, Henan Museum, Anyang Museum and other institutions in the core area of the Central Plains where the Shang Dynasty was historically located as the organizing institutions for this "See the Shang Dynasty" exhibition, the exhibits also received strong support from friendly museums and related research institutions such as the National Museum of China, Hubei Provincial Museum, Hunan Museum, Shandong Museum, Shaanxi History Museum, Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum, and Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Sichuan.
Zhang Wenyong, deputy director of the exhibition department of the Capital Museum, told The Paper: "The exhibition is a collection of exquisite works. Many of the first-class key cultural relics are the treasures of major friendly museums. It is not easy to borrow them for the exhibition this time."
Niu Zun Exhibition time: 5.19-5.25 Total length 40 cm Height with lid 22.5 cm Waist circumference 52.5 cm Unearthed from Dongdi Yachang Tomb in Huayuanzhuang Village, Yinxu, Anyang Collection of Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
The reporter of The Paper noticed that many key exhibits in the exhibition area were marked with corresponding exhibition periods. Take the Niu Zun unearthed from the Dongdi Yachang Tomb in Huayuanzhuang Village, Yinxu, Anyang, exhibited in Exhibition Hall 2, for example. The Zun is collected by the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and will be on display from May 19 to 25. Later, in the same booth, there will be bronze hands (May 30-June 8), bronze elephant zun (June 17-July 13), and double-sided bronze human figures (July 22-August 31) as replacement exhibits.
Bronze Elephant Zun (data map) Exhibition time: 6.17-7.13 Total height 22.8 cm width 14.4 cm length 26.5 cm Unearthed from Shixing Mountain, Liling, Hunan in 1975 Collection of Hunan Museum
Jijin has a mold. Bronze is an alloy of red copper, tin and lead. It is called "bronze" because of its grayish-blue color when unearthed. The Yin and Shang dynasties continued the characteristics of early bronze production in China, namely copper-tin alloy and mold casting. "Xunzi: Strengthening the Country" says: The mold is correct, the gold and tin are beautiful, the craftsmanship is skillful, the fire is even, and the mold is cut open and the Moye is done. This is roughly the production process of bronze ware, namely mold making, melting and casting, and repairing. The bronze workshop ruins and related relics in Yinxu are strong evidence that the Yin and Shang dynasties were the first peak of ancient bronze ware production in my country.
It is particularly noteworthy that a pair of bronze owl vases unearthed from Yinxu and a pair of bronze Yachou axes unearthed from Subutun, Shandong, were reunited and exhibited together for the first time 50 years after their unearthed.
A pair of "Fuhao Owl Zun" are facing each other after 50 years. They are about 46 cm tall and were unearthed from Fuhao's Tomb in Yinxu, Anyang in 1976. One is in the collection of the National Museum of China; the other is in the collection of the Henan Museum. The exhibition time: 5.19-5.29.
Fu Hao's tomb is one of the few Shang Dynasty tombs in Yinxu that has not been looted. The huge number of burial objects, especially bronze artifacts, highlight the identity of the tomb owner. This pair of bronze owl urns was unearthed here in 1976 and is now stored in the National Museum of China and the Henan Museum. The tour guide said, "The owl is an owl. The Book of Songs: Shang Song says: The black bird was sent by heaven to give birth to the Shang Dynasty. It can be seen that the origin of the ancestors of the Shang Dynasty merchants is closely related to the beautiful legend of the black bird. This pair of owl urns, with their unique shape and multiple symbols, has become a key material evidence for interpreting the religion, military and gender roles of the Shang Dynasty. One of them, the 'Fu Hao Owl Zun' from Yinxu, Anyang, Henan, will be on a business trip to Beijing until the 29th of this month."
An owl-shaped vessel unearthed from Yinxu (collected by the National Museum)
Cultural relics in the "Seeing the Shang Dynasty" exhibition
Fu Hao Owl Zun unearthed from Yinxu (collected by Henan Museum)
Exhibition site, Owl Zun
"The most important affairs of a country are sacrifice and war." Shang Tang overthrew the rule of Xia by force and established a regime. He praised himself as "very martial" and called himself "King Wu." In order to enhance the combat capability, bronze, the most advanced metal at that time, was used to make weapons, and was mainly used in the killing part of the weapons. The bronze weapons discovered by Yin and Shang archaeological excavations reveal more details of the military conquests of the Shang Dynasty. This pair of Yachou Yue was unearthed in the No. 1 Shang Tomb in Subutun, Qingzhou in 1965. Due to its rare shape and size, one was transferred to Beijing and collected in the National Museum of China, and the other was kept in the Shandong Museum. This exhibition is also the first meeting of the two Yachou Yue brothers after they were unearthed.
Yachou Yue collected by Shandong Museum
It is still not possible to make a reliable judgment on when Chinese characters first appeared, but the oracle bone inscriptions unearthed from Yinxu are the earliest mature systematic Chinese characters known so far. Oracle bone inscriptions are divination inscriptions carved on tortoise shells and animal bones. They are records of the contents of sacrifices and divinations of the Shang royal family and nobles, covering a wide range of topics, such as war, hunting, farming, weather, etc. They are not only the handwriting of our ancestors who wrote direct historical materials of the Shang Dynasty, but also priceless treasures in the history of Chinese culture.
Divine Shang Dynasty, 1991, unearthed from the East Site of Huayuanzhuang, Yinxu, Anyang, H3, collected by the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
The oracle bone for practicing calligraphy was unearthed in 2010 from the tomb of Da Sikong at the Yinxu site in Anyang. It is now in the collection of the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The remaining length of this oracle bone for practicing calligraphy is 10.8 cm and the remaining width is 10.2 cm. It is a testimony to the skill of the diviner of the Shang Dynasty (who acted as the spokesperson of the Shang king to ask for divination, and the Shang king sometimes asked for divination himself as a diviner) to master the skill of neatly engraving on oracle bones to meet the solemnity of divination activities. It is said that beginners need to go through a lot of practice before they can participate in the formal engraving of oracle inscriptions. The practice content focuses on common divination terms, and the practice materials are mostly discarded cattle shoulder blades or tortoise shell fragments, and some are specially prepared "writing practice boards". The few "practicing" oracle bones that have survived in the world are key evidence for studying the education of Shang Dynasty characters, the inheritance of craftsmanship, and the evolution of early calligraphy.
The remaining oracle bone of the Shang Dynasty is 10.8 cm long and 10.2 cm wide. It was unearthed from the Dasikong site of the Yin Ruins in Anyang in 2010. It is collected by the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Dr. Gao Hongqing, curator of the "Seeing the Shang Dynasty" exhibition, told The Paper: "Looking at a dynasty, the discovery of oracle bone inscriptions proves the existence of the Shang Dynasty, and the longevity of Chinese civilization is reflected; bronze ware is not only an important metal product, but also a material embodiment of social structure and power form, representing the highest achievement of civilization at that time. Oracle bone inscriptions and bronze ware, on the vast territory of the Shang Dynasty, integrated to form a pluralistic and unified civilization mechanism of 'harmony in diversity', reflecting the inclusiveness and unity of Chinese civilization."
"Setting an example for future generations", the Easter eggs and cultural relics from the movie "Nezha" are revitalized and utilized
When humans entered the Bronze Age, in addition to stone tools, bronze tools were also used in production. The advancement of production tools promoted the development of agriculture and the progress of handicrafts. With ethnic groups as units, the division of labor in handicrafts became more and more detailed, and the craftsmanship became more and more mature. By the Yinxu period, the skills accumulated, in jade, pottery, ivory, leather, bamboo, linen, car making and other aspects, there were great progress, and together with bronze smelting and casting technology, it formed a peak period of handicraft development.
Oracle bones carry inscriptions, and the fears and hopes of merchants have carved out a long river of Chinese characters, which has benefited people to this day; the spiritual beliefs cast in the tripods when the copper liquid cools and the model is broken can make people today feel the power of the past when they look into each other's eyes. In addition to oracle bones and bronze ware, the pottery, jade and other exhibits in this exhibition are also impressive.
Pottery figurine of Shang Dynasty, height 7.5 cm, unearthed from the Yinxu site, Henan Province, spinning mill, collection of the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
The Shang Dynasty clay gray pottery figure displayed at the entrance of Exhibition Hall 2 is 7.5 cm tall and was unearthed from the Northern Henan Cotton Mill at the Yin Ruins site. It is now in the collection of the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Looking into his eyes through the glass window, he has a wide flat face, a thick and bulging nose, slightly convex eyeballs, a wide mouth and a thick neck. Upon closer inspection, there is a "Zi" engraved on the chest of the pottery figure, which is the surname of the Shang king.
The guide said during the tour that surnames are symbols of blood relations in the social structure of ancient China. "Surnames are used to distinguish marriages; clan names are used to distinguish between nobles and humbles. Clan names are branches of surnames, with few surnames and many clan names. In ancient times, surnames and clan names could be obtained through ordination. The General History records that 'Qi, the ancestor of the Shang Dynasty, was the Minister of Education of Shun, and was granted the title of Shang and the surname Zi.'"
Jade bi from the Shang Dynasty unearthed from the Jinsha Site in Chengdu, Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum
"A gentleman will never leave his jade without a reason." China has a long history of jade processing. After the Shang Dynasty, jade artifacts were found in Zhengzhou, Gaocheng, Hebei, Panlongcheng, Hubei, and even Chengdu, Sichuan. They were mainly ritual objects such as jade axes, jade bi, and jade huang. Among them, the jade bi was the core instrument of "worshiping the sky" in the pre-Qin culture, symbolizing that the sky is round and the earth is square, ranking first among the six auspicious objects. Through archaeology, jade workshops in Yinxu were also discovered. Wheel and axle machinery may have been used in processing, and specialized production undoubtedly increased the output and spread of jade.
The Jinsha Site in Chengdu, Sichuan is another major discovery in Sichuan after Sanxingdui. Since 2001, precious cultural relics with distinct characteristics of ancient Shu culture, such as gold, bronze, jade, stone, and ivory, have been unearthed. One of the exhibits, a Jinsha jade bi with a diameter of 24.25 cm, is the largest jade bi found in Bashu so far, reflecting the selective absorption and localization of the ritual jade wares of the Central Plains by ancient Shu.
The reporter of The Paper noted that this exhibition also carried out many innovative practices in exhibition design. The eye-catching red silk thread guided the vision of the entire exhibition hall, which not only ensured the transparency of the space, but also reflected the vitality of the continuation of Chinese civilization.
Exhibition Hall 1 Site Map
Curator Dr. Gao Hongqing said, "The red silk thread in the center of Hall 1, which displays the inner clothes (Royal Capital District), connects vertically to the ceiling of the hall to form a central exhibition stand. The scope of the inner clothes and important geographical information are printed on the table. The outer circle is surrounded by the hanging shape of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, showing the important role of the astronomical calendar and the Zhou sacrificial system in the rule of the Shang Dynasty; Hall 2 connects the outer clothes 'Four Directions' through red silk threads, with the Ya-shaped tomb shape on the ceiling as the core, connecting the exhibition stand and display cabinet. Combined with multimedia installations, it strengthens the correlation between "Dayi Shang" and the four directions, intuitively showing the evolution of civilization from diversity to unity, and realizing a visual dialogue between territory and civilization."
Modern archaeology uses details such as stratigraphic relationships and relic combinations to reconstruct the continuous development of civilization. The revitalization of cultural relics is an important means to connect history and modern times, giving cultural heritage new functions through innovative methods and integrating it into contemporary life. This year's movie "Nezha 2" has become a hit, and a surprise "easter egg" was specially set up at the end of the exhibition, using the props involved in "Nezha 2" as clues to exhibit the prototypes of its cultural relics.
The cute barrier beasts in the film are mainly derived from the cultural relics unearthed from the Sanxingdui ruins in Guanghan, Sichuan. The bronze human head with a gold mask, the bronze vertical-eyed mask and the bronze eagle-shaped bell were referenced in the image design. The bronze human head with a gold mask was unearthed from the No. 2 sacrificial pit of the Sanxingdui ruins. It has thick eyebrows, upright eyes, a wide mouth, long ears and a bulbous nose, reflecting the rich regional characteristics of the ancient Shu civilization.
Bronze human head with gold mask, head diameter 17.8cm, horizontal diameter 15cm, height 45.8cm, width 23.8cm, unearthed from No. 2 sacrificial pit of Sanxingdui site in Guanghan, Sichuan, collection of Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Sichuan; Bronze eagle-shaped bell, head length 20.7cm, width 8.5cm, height 14.3cm, unearthed from No. 2 sacrificial pit of Sanxingdui site in Guanghan, Sichuan, collection of Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Sichuan
The weapon elements of the barrier beasts come from the tiger-patterned axe and the Shang bronze sawtooth sickle. The tiger-patterned axe on display is now in the Gansu Provincial Museum. The axe has a tiger head as the socket and a tiger back as the blade. It is a unique weapon in the Western Zhou Dynasty. The tiger pattern on the axe should represent fierceness and power. In the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the axe was a symbol of the power of conquest for kings and generals, representing the holder's power to kill or give life to the enemy and those who disobeyed orders.
Source of weapon elements of the barrier beast: Shang bronze sawtooth sickle-shaped vessel, Shang outer arc length 54.3 cm, width 2.6-5.9 cm, shank depth 4.5 cm, unearthed in Longtou Village, Longtou Town, Chenggu County, Shaanxi Province in 1980, collection of Zhang Qian Memorial Hall, Chenggu County; tiger pattern axe, early Western Zhou Dynasty, total length 23 cm, width 6 cm, unearthed in the Western Zhou Dynasty cemetery of Baicaopao, Lingtai County, Gansu Province, collection of Gansu Provincial Museum
In "Nezha 2", Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, is undoubtedly the focus of the four dragon kings, showing his kingly temperament. His "water knife" skills bring a strong visual impact to the audience, as if it can cut through the screen. The jade knife in the exhibit is now in the collection of the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. It is made in imitation of the bronze knife of the same period, with the blade ground on both sides and very sharp; the back is hollowed out, with eight groups of square door edges engraved, and six bird patterns engraved on both sides of the blade, which is exactly the same as Ao Guang's weapon! Many viewers stopped to take pictures.
One of the sources of the prototype of the weapon of the Dragon King of the East Sea: the jade knife Shang Tong, length 25.2 cm, width 2.8-3.3 cm, thickness 0.5 cm, handle length 4.9 cm, thickness 0.7 cm, unearthed from the tomb of Yachang in Huayuanzhuang Village, Yinxu, Anyang, collected by the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
It is also reported that the "Beijing Museum Season" theme event will also kick off at the same time as the opening of the exhibition. With the theme of "Cultural Heritage and Innovation Integration", from May 18 to October 8, through the comprehensive display of exhibition month, science and technology month, cultural and creative month, research month, education month and closing month, a multi-dimensional cultural platform of "museum + science and technology/cultural and creative/education" will be constructed to create a new scene of urban cultural consumption.
The exhibition will last until October 12.
