Yuan Hai Bing Qiu Yu Jie: Archaeological evidence does not support the "Tibetan southern origin theory".

The following article comes from Dao Zhonghua, written by Qiu Yujie, a former Marine of the Archaeological Science Center of Sichuan University.

The origin of the Tibetan ethnic group is the starting point for exploring the history and culture of the Tibetan people. Since the Republic of China period, Tibetan people have had many views such as "indigenous theory", "southern theory", "northern theory" and "western theory".

With the archaeological excavation of the Changdu Karuo Ruins that began in 1978 and the deepening of ethnic origin research, the research on the ethnic origin of Tibetans has entered a new stage. The research at this stage pays more attention to the comprehensive application of documentary historical materials, archaeological discoveries and ethnographic materials. Through multiple evidences, there is a more three-dimensional and comprehensive understanding of the origin of the Tibetan people and the historical connection between them and the surrounding cultures and ethnic groups.

The method of multi-dimensional argumentation gradually makes our understanding of the origin of Tibetans gradually clear, and also provides new evidence for understanding the continuous development and progress of Tibetans in interaction with surrounding ethnic groups.

鈻� Picture above: Double-body pottery jar unearthed from the Karuo Ruins in Changdu, Tibet (Image source: website of the State Administration of Cultural Relics); Picture below: Scene restoration of Karuo Ruins (Photo source: Institute of Cultural Relics Protection of Tibet Autonomous Region)

I. Hunting and gathering people, developing the plateau from north to south

Archaeological evidence shows that about 40,000 years ago, modern sapiens began to foot on the lakeside of Natuniadi in Tibet, which is 4,600 meters above sea level. They use scrapers, sharp tools, carving tools and other fine stone tools as tools, and take fishing as their main lifestyle, and hunt in the Qiangtang Plateau. The local "stoneware manufacturing yard" indicates that they have adapted to the local environment and have begun to spread widely from north to south to the hinterland of the plateau.

Archaeologists have found the earliest hunter-gatherer's residences on the Tibetan plateau at an altitude of 4,360 meters above sea level.

The traces left by the 8,500-year-old site show that the ancients lived here for a long time. A large number of stone tools, bone-burning and stone-burning stones appeared in it, as well as the world's earliest grinding stone needles, confirm that these hunting and gathering people have begun a long-term and discontinuous occupation of a place on the western lakeside of Tibet. Live and live.

鈻睮n July 2022, a joint archaeological team composed of Sichuan University and the Institute of Cultural Relics Protection of the Tibet Autonomous Region carried out investigation and excavation work at the Xiadachuo site in Ritu County, Ali District. ( Photo source: China Archaeology Network)

鈻睸tone tools on the northeast bank of Ritu Xiada: 1-2 are stone pieces, 3 are cutters, and 4 are scrapers. ( Data chart)

In the lakeside site of the middle reaches of the Yalu Zangbo River 4,000 years ago, archaeologists have found a large number of tombs, ash pits, stone structures, movable surfaces, as well as pottery, grinding stone tools, fine stone tools, bone tools, ornaments, animal skeletons, carbonized plants and other remains.

These findings reveal that residents at that time were able to live a long-term settlement on the plateau above 4,400 meters above sea level by hunting fish, waterfowl and wild animals.

In addition, they also exchange millet, millet, rice and other crops with people in low-altitude areas through trade or exchange to make up for the food shortage.

The Ma people have a close genetic relationship with the ancient people who lived in the north of East Asia 5,000 years ago. They are the ancestors of the people who live in the south-southwest of the Tibetan Plateau today.

II. Spreading from north to south, agricultural technology goes to the plateau

Judging from the existing evidence, from the beginning of the attempt to settle down 8,500 years ago to the occurrence of agriculture about 5,000 years ago, the settlement process of the Tibetan Plateau did not occur slowly, gradually and gradually, but was formed by rapid changes due to the entry of foreigners or cultures.

The hunting, gathering and settlement people living on the shore of the Ma's Lake need to supply millet, millet and rice in low-altitude areas to meet the basic life after winter freezing.

At the same time, the 5,200-year-old Changdu Karuo settlers have shown more diversified livelihood strategies. In addition to farming, they also hunt a large number of wild animals such as deer, which is confirmed by the large number of wild animal skeletons found in the site.

鈻睪reen barley - the soul of the plateau. ( Photo source: Pengpai.com)

Since 3,600 years ago, wheat (green barley) has been introduced through the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. With the development of cattle, sheep and other pastoral economies, the ancients gradually settled in high-altitude areas on a large scale. At the same time, green barley cultivation and yak breeding have become the best choices for the early development of agriculture and animal husbandry in southern Tibet.

Agricultural settlement on the Tibetan Plateau can be regarded as a process of gradual climbing from low-altitude areas to high-altitude areas in the east and northeast.

Research shows that whether it was early agriculturalization in low-altitude river valleys to promote population settlement, or fishing and hunting settlement in high-altitude areas, from the Neolithic Age to the early Metal Age, relying solely on the existing conditions of the Tibetan Plateau could not meet the stable life of local people. The acquisition and absorption of resources in low-altitude areas is a key strategy to achieve long-term plateau survival.

III. Northwest smelting technology to promote the social development of the plateau

Research shows that the ancestors of Lhasa Qugong in the hinterland of the plateau about 4,000 years ago may have been exposed to bronze products such as bronze mirrors and copper shackles. The copperware of Zadagbuseru, which is about 3,000 years old, has reflected similar characteristics to the local copper mines in Tibet.

Many sites in Tibet 2,000 years ago, such as Chaxiutang, Qulong and other unearthed iron products, show that iron tools had been introduced to the Tibetan plateau by the Han and Jin Dynasties at the latest. People in Ali and the South Tibet Valley not only use iron weapons or ornaments, but also copper and iron alloys are very popular. In particular, the "iron shovel" with consumable characteristics shows that it is likely that there has been a group of smelting and casting craftsmen specializing in the "localization" production of iron at that time.

The analysis of the iron slag unearthed in the Kaki cemetery of the Alipyang Dongga site shows that there should be a group of craftsmen who have mastered a certain level of block iron smelting technology. This discovery shows that by the 3rd century AD at the latest, the Ali Plateau had been deeply influenced by the ironmaking and smelting technology of the Northwest System.

鈻� Therefore, the excavation of Jiamu cemetery. ( Photo source: website of the State Administration of Cultural Relics)

In the Han and Jin Dynasties, iron weapons that appeared in Kaki, Tibet, such as Jiamu, Quta and other places were mainly weapons (such as swords, swords, knives), ornaments (with buckles), harnesses (such as swords), etc., which are rare daily utensils.

And Qugong iron handle bronze mirror, Chajiagou copper iron "ten"-shaped buckle, Gongjue City North and Kaki wooden handle iron knife, etc., reflect the similar characteristics of the "Northwest China System". The iron smelting technology system or ironware originating from the northwest has had an important impact on the plateau metal era.

鈻睺he golden mask unearthed from Quta Cemetery. ( Photo source: China National Network)

The remains of horses, dogs and sheep animals unearthed from the sarcophagus tomb of Naqubuta Xiongqu in northern Tibet, about 2,800 years ago, as well as bronze swords and leather or wood products, reflect the appearance of nomadic life.

The skeletal morphology and genetic northward sources of the people in the tomb show us the life scene of nomadic people going south to herd horses and opening up the plateau.

In addition, the diversity of the dietary structure of these people also shows the support of multi-resource life. Their appearance on the Qiangtang Plateau should have appeared with the spread of nomads to East Asia.

IV. Brilliant Tibetan culture, do not allow "Southern Speaking" to take the meaning out of the contement

Looking back on the history of human activities on the plateau for more than 40,000 years, the Tibetan Plateau has never been a cultural island, but the flower of human civilization where human beings continue to converge, culture continue to integrate, and civilization gradually accumulate and flourish.

The population and cultural development of the Tibetan Plateau reflect the five characteristics of continuity, openness, diversity, lag and uniqueness.

鈻� Tibet's "cultural business card" - Potala Palace. ( Photo source: CCTV News)

Continuity: Since the Niadian hunting and gathering group ascended to the plateau 40,000 years ago, they have used fine stone tools as tools, accompanied the lakeside to fish and hunt for a living, and continued to expand to the hinterland of the plateau. The people of Xiada and Ma are constantly trying to live a long-term fishing and hunting settlement life. The evidence of ancient DNA genetics shows that from the beginning of the Ma's people to the present-day Tibetan people have genetic components from the ancient people who lived in the north of East Asia 5,000 years ago. They are all descendants of the ancient people who entered the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the early days.

Openness: The natural conditions of high cold, low pressure and hypoxia on the Tibetan plateau determine that the natural resources that can be directly used by people are very limited, and the local people must rely on the resources of their neighbors. Archaeological evidence also shows that neighboring Xinjiang, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and other provinces and regions, as well as Myanmar, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and other countries, have had a cultural impact on the Tibetan Plateau in different periods of history. From the Paleolithic Age ten thousand years ago, the fine stone leaf technology in North China, to the dry agricultural system in the north, to the metallurgy and the northern transmission of Buddhism, they have all contributed historical wisdom to the formation of Tibetan culture. Openness is the survival and development gene and nature rooted in the bones of the plateau people.

鈻� Overlooking Lhasa Baguo Street. CCTV reporter Li Xupai Photo

Diversity: The harsh living environment of the Tibetan Plateau does not have the soil of human origin, evolution, or even native culture. Judging from the archaeological evidence, the Paleolithic gathering and hunting groups carried stone tools to the plateau. The tradition of North China's fine stone leaf technology, the millet/wheat farming technology system, and metallurgy all gathered into Tibet from the surrounding area through various channels and historical opportunities, which became the basis for supporting the continuous inheritance and development of plateau culture. The splendor of today's culture on the Tibetan Plateau is not a mutation. Its roots have their own historical reasons.

Lagging: Judging from the archaeological discovery of Tibetan plateau stoneware technology, agricultural system and metallurgy, it was introduced to the plateau later than other regions, and it generally continued on the plateau and used for a long time, showing the characteristics of lagging behind other regions and slow iteration. For example, the Niadi fine stone leaf technology on the Qiangtang Plateau in northern Tibet was introduced roughly 40,000 years ago, and it is still used by people 4,000 years ago, while in the hinterland of the Central Plains, this technology has retreated to a secondary position among the Jiahu people as early as 8,000 years ago; the millet/wheat technology system helped agriculture 3,600 years ago. People fully adapt to high-altitude areas, which is also much later than other regions; the emergence of metallurgy and metal products is also later than that of surrounding areas.

Uniqueness: The Tibetan Plateau is limited by harsh production and living conditions, and the plateau culture shows unique characteristics. There are two manifestations: First, the introduced stone technology, agricultural system, metallurgy, etc. are relatively mature once they appear, and there is a general lack of intermediate links in evolution and development. For example, the Niadian fine stone leaf technology and "stoneware manufacturing field" are in line with the mature and fixed production process of "prefabricated stone core - directional stripping - system processing". The stone products are thin, exquisite and sharp, reflecting the highest level of human stone tool making technology and cognitive behavior ability at that time. Second, the incoming technical system has been transformed and adjusted by "localization". For example, the high-altitude fishing, hunting and settlement mode, the diversified Karo Valley agriculture, and the weapon selection of copper and iron weapons.

鈻� Stone tools unearthed from the site. Pictures provided by the State Administration of Cultural Relics

Comprehensive the continuity, openness, diversity, backwardness and uniqueness embodied in the historical and cultural development of Tibet, the Tibetan Plateau has never been an isolated island for survival. The uniqueness of its culture requires long-term exploration and adaptation of local groups, continuous summary and adjustment of life experience, and new introduction The "localization" transformation and development of the technical system. It is especially important that its healthy development needs to be nourished from the surrounding area like capillaries in order to be maintained.

Since ancient times, Tibet has been closely related to the surrounding areas and has obtained the scientific evidence of many archaeological evidence. There is no doubt that Tibet has become a political, cultural and commercial node linking the western region, Central Asia, South Asian subcontinent and other places through the "Highland Silk Road" as early as the Han and Jin Dynasties. Gold, wool, salt, spices, silk, ideology, culture, etc. are widely exchanged through these nodes.

Judging from the cultural development of the Tibetan plateau, the "Plateau Silk Road" carries at least 40,000 years of historical and cultural accumulation.

The history, archaeology, literature and other research results of Tibet have fully proved that Tibetan culture is an important part of Chinese culture.

"Tibetans say in the south" takes one-sided materials to argue that the formation of Tibetans is mainly influenced by the culture of the south, which is neither true nor in line with the inherent logic of historical development.

Never allow "Tibetan South" to take the meaning out of the contegrect and ignore the integrity of the human history of the Tibetan Plateau; never allow "Tibetan South" to generalize and ignore the integrity of the cultural development of the Tibetan Plateau; never allow "Tibetan South" to ignore the historical contribution of human collective wisdom to the formation of plateau culture.

Today's "kaleidoscope"-like plateau culture is the cultural fruit of multi-people gathering, multicultural integration, and tens of thousands of years. We must cherish this hard-won flower of human civilization.

(Introduction of the author: Yuan Haibing, associate professor of the Archaeological Science Center of Sichuan University; Qiu Yujie, a graduate student of the Archaeological Science Center of Sichuan University.)

Content source: Dao Zhonghua