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Xinjiang's Archaeological Achievements Vividly Illuminate the Historical Scroll of Chinese Civilization
Summary: Recently, the "Xinjiang Archaeological Work Report Meeting 2024", hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism and the Bureau of Cultural Relics of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and organized by the Institute of Archaeology of the Xin
Recently, the "Xinjiang Archaeological Work Report Meeting 2024", hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism and the Bureau of Cultural Relics of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and organized by the Institute of Archaeology of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was held in Urumqi, comprehensively summarizing the achievements of archaeological work in Xinjiang over the past year.
"Over the past year, we undertook 135 archaeological survey, exploration, and excavation projects related to infrastructure construction. In cooperation with more than 10 institutions inside and outside the region, such as the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Archaeological Research Center of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, and Peking University, we carried out 15 proactive archaeological excavation projects. We continued to promote the exploration and interpretation of the value of cultural relics and their rational and effective utilization, driving the program of enriching Xinjiang with culture to achieve practical results." Li Wenying, the director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, told reporters.
At the report meeting, 36 experts and scholars delivered academic reports on the latest progress of archaeological excavations in Xinjiang in 2024, multi - disciplinary cooperation research, display and utilization, etc. Their reports not only focused on historical and cultural heritage in Xinjiang but also touched upon ancient sites in Central Asia.
Archaeology in Xinjiang Proves the Pluralistic and Integrated Nature of the Chinese Nation
Major projects in Xinjiang under the "Archaeology in China" initiative have focused on key topics such as "Comprehensive Research on Early Civilizations in Xinjiang", "Research on the Historical Development Process of Xinjiang within the Unified Multi - ethnic National System", and "Archaeological Research on the Development and Sinicization of Multiple Religions in Xinjiang", yielding fruitful results. It is reported that the time span of the projects ranges from the Bronze Age to the Song and Yuan periods. Among them, archaeological excavations at the Kizil Grottoes in Baicheng County, the Subashi Buddhist Temple in Kuqa City, and the Huolashan Temple Site in Yanqi County are newly launched projects.
As an intersection point of the Silk Road, Xinjiang has left behind numerous historical and cultural heritages, and archaeological excavations are gradually revealing these ruins and sites to us.
Why is the large - scale square stone - enclosed tomb in the eastern area of the Hustaa Site in Wenquan County, dating back to approximately 2800 - 2600 BC, regarded as a new breakthrough in the archaeology of the Bronze Age in Xinjiang? Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, explained that the excavation of this cemetery provides clues for tracing the cultural origin of the square stone - enclosed tombs in the late Bronze Age in the core area of the site and for discussing the formation of the Altai - Western Tianshan cultural area and even the Eurasian metallurgical area in the early Bronze Age.
The Hustaa Site
As an early settlement composed of mine pits, houses, sacrificial sites, sentry posts, etc., the cultural type reflected by the pottery unearthed at the Tianhudong Turquoise Mining Site in Hami City is closely related to the Xichengyi Culture and the Shanma Culture in the east. "This site is geographically close and chronologically complementary to the previously excavated Heishanling Turquoise Mining Site. Its excavation is of great significance for researching the origin, mining technology, and utilization of early Chinese turquoise materials." Xian Yiheng, a professor at the School of Cultural Heritage of Northwest University, introduced.
The main remaining ruins of the Wushituer Site in Kuqa City date back to the Wei, Jin, and Tang dynasties. In 2024, archaeologists cleared 9 house sites in the south - central part of the southern city. "The unearthed cultural relics such as Buddha statue fragments, carved wooden Buddha hands, and painted mural fragments suggest the possibility that the site was related to Buddhism in its early stage." Niu Jianzhe, an associate research librarian at the National Museum of China, believes that this has accumulated more materials for further understanding the structural layout, architectural forms, and functional nature of the site.
Beiting Ancient City was the political, military, and cultural center on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains on the Silk Road from the Tang to the Yuan dynasties. It is also the most intact and largest ancient city site currently preserved on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains. Cui Jiabao, an assistant researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the large - scale official building site cleared in the northeast of the outer city in 2024 is of great value for promoting research on the evolution of the ancient city and the display of the archaeological site park.
The No. 1 Site of Beiting Ancient City after Excavation
The historical characteristic of the religious pattern in Xinjiang is the co - existence of multiple religions with one or two religions as the main body, and the mainstream of religious relations in Xinjiang is coexistence and integration.
The Moore Temple Site in Kashgar City is an important witness of the ancient Shule Buddhist culture. Archaeological work has roughly demarcated the scope of the site and the way to access it, revealed the evolution process and environmental changes of the temple from the 3rd to the 10th centuries, and provided a research sample for the Sinicization of Buddhism. The discovery of the vineyard, tombs, and the living area on the northern slope of the Jingjiao Temple Site in Western Pang, Turpan, from the Tang to the Yuan dynasties, and the excavation of a large number of relics such as crosses have provided more detailed information for studying the daily life of Jingjiao temples and the languages and scripts in the Western Regions during the Middle - ancient period.
The Moore Temple Site
Pre - archaeological Work to Tell the Story of Xinjiang, China Well
The "Interim Administrative Measures for Archaeological Work in Infrastructure Construction in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region" have been introduced, implementing the systems of "investigate first, then construct" and "conduct archaeology first, then transfer the land", which fully guarantees major project construction, helps carry forward the historical context, and tells the story of Xinjiang, China well.
In the vast desert, a solitary beacon - fire plume rises; by the long river, the setting sun is a perfect orb. Eastern and Western cultures converge here.
The excavations of the Talate No. Ⅱ Tomb Group and the Saerkuobu Tomb Group in Altay City, the Tomb Group in the upper reaches of the Baiyang River and the Quanshuigou Site in Fukang City, etc., have provided new materials for improving the archaeological cultural sequence from the Bronze Age, the Early Iron Age to the Sui, Tang, Song, and Yuan periods around the Junggar Basin.
As a key area for infrastructure archaeological projects in Xinjiang, the house sites at the Hujierte Site in Nilka County are highly consistent with the first - phase remains of the Jirentaigoukou Site in terms of shape, structure, unearthed artifacts, and dating data. The excavation of the tombs involved in the photovoltaic project in Nilka County and the No. Ⅲ Cemetery of the Jialekule Ancient Tomb Group, both in the Kashi River Basin, further depicts a long - term historical picture of the area from the late Bronze Age to the Sui and Tang dynasties.
It is worth mentioning that the "Infrastructure Archaeological Case of the Youyilu Tomb Group in Kuqa - Millennium Tombs Reflecting the Endless Culture of Qiuci" was selected into the "Outstanding Cases of National Infrastructure Archaeology and Cultural Relic Protection" organized and selected by the National Cultural Heritage Administration.
The Excavation Site of the Youyilu Tomb Group in Kuqa, Xinjiang
It is understood that the excavation of the Youyilu Tomb Group in Kuqa, Xinjiang, has filled the gap in archaeological excavation and research in the Kuqa area from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to the Yuan and Ming dynasties. It deeply showcases the cultural customs and social life of the ancient Qiuci area, as well as the extensive exchanges, all - round interactions, and in - depth integration with the Central Plains area. This project can serve as an example for the on - site display and utilization of archaeological excavations in Xinjiang, providing effective experience for the "activation" of immovable cultural relics.
Science and Technology Empowering to Vividly Depict Historical Details
Archaeology in Xinjiang has continuously emphasized the empowerment of science and technology, widely conducting multi - disciplinary comprehensive research on the background environment of relics, human evolution, utilization of animals and plants, and development of mineral resources, etc. It has enhanced the depth and breadth of information extraction and broadened the scope of archaeological research.
The Altai Mountains are a必经之路 for cultural dissemination in Eurasia and a key node for cultural exchanges between the East and the West.
Archaeological excavations at the Tongtiandong Site in Jimunaixian County have found remains of broomcorn millet, naked barley, and wheat. Broomcorn millet has the largest quantity, followed by naked barley, and wheat is only sporadically found. Some individual samples show suspected foxtail millet grains. Dating shows that the upper limit of the age of broomcorn millet and naked barley is close to 4,500 years ago, and the age of wheat seems to be around 3,500 years ago
The unearthed remains of ancient people are important materials for understanding the health and social history of ancient populations. By analyzing the age at death, bone trauma, paleopathology, etc. of the human remains from the Jialekule Cemetery in Nileke County, Wang Anqi, a lecturer at the School of History of Xinjiang University, said that two skulls with perforations were found during the research. The cross - section of the perforation in one of the skulls was smooth and blunt, with obvious healing marks. It is speculated that the perforation might be for taking bone chips or for medical purposes.
The human remains samples from the Youyilu Cemetery in Kuqa City have the richest cultural connotations in the samples from the Wei, Jin, and the Sixteen Kingdoms period, making them the focus of current scientific and technological archaeological work. Research shows that the male - to - female ratio during this period was basically balanced, and the average life expectancy was about 30 years. However, there were group differences among the buried individuals in brick - chamber tombs and side - chamber tombs. The buried individuals in the former had relatively close kinship, and their genetic structure was similar to that of the Han and Jin populations in the Gansu - Qinghai region, indicating a high possibility of being used as a family cemetery. "The residents of the Youyilu Cemetery ate both C3 (such as wheat and barley) and C4 (such as millet and broomcorn millet) crops. They mainly fed their livestock with C3 crops, supplemented with a small amount of C4 crops," said Cui Yinqiu, a professor at the School of Life Sciences of Jilin University. This indicates that the livelihood pattern in the ancient Qiuci region was a combination of agriculture and animal husbandry.
Research and Interpretation to Promote the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Relics
Xinjiang archaeology has continuously focused on topic refining, scientific and technological support, and achievement transformation, and has made great efforts to strengthen the excavation, sorting, and interpretation of archaeological achievements.
Archaeological reports and catalogs such as The Cemetery at the Northern Foot of Tianshan Mountains in Hami, Xinjiang, Jilintai in Xinjiang, and Reflections on a Century of Xinjiang Archaeology, along with more than 40 brief reports and research articles, have been published, vividly interpreting the social and historical picture of Xinjiang. National - level projects such as "Comprehensive Research and Data Sorting of the Kalasu Ancient Cemetery in Xinjiang" and "Research and Data Sorting of the Cemetery South of Aisikexia'er in Xinjiang" have contributed historical materials to the in - depth study of the history of the Chinese nation's community and the multi - ethnic integration pattern of the Chinese nation. Academic conferences such as the 8th International Symposium on Beiting Studies in Xinjiang, "The International Symposium on Turpan Studies: New Progress in Nestorianism Research," and the Symposium on the Exchange and Mutual Learning of Silk Road Civilizations and the Research on the History and Culture of Qiuci, as well as the 8th Annual Conference on Qiuci Studies, have promoted the in - depth development of Silk Road archaeology and demonstrated the mission and responsibility of Xinjiang archaeology in the new era.
Xinjiang archaeology adheres to the principle of development in protection and protection in development, and actively promotes the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the inheritance of cultural heritage, so that the treasures of Chinese civilization can be preserved forever, benefit future generations, and enhance the international influence of Chinese culture. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has completed the conservation and restoration of more than 1,200 sets of unearthed cultural relics and has applied for and obtained one utility model patent, consolidating the foundation of Xinjiang's cultural relic resources. It has handed over 3,175 unearthed cultural relics to local grass - roots museums, giving better play to the empirical role of cultural relics and meeting the spiritual and cultural needs of the masses. The construction project of the Xinjiang archaeological specimen storage has been completed, improving the ability and level of Xinjiang archaeology and cultural heritage protection and providing support for strengthening the sense of community of the Chinese nation. In addition to being displayed in domestic museums, Xinjiang's cultural relics have also been displayed in countries such as Japan and France, continuously facilitating cultural exchanges. In terms of the protection and utilization of immovable cultural relics, Xinjiang adheres to the principles of planning first, overall protection, and dynamic inheritance, effectively maintaining their historical authenticity, morphological integrity, and cultural continuity. It has actively implemented the protection plan for the Qiuci area and promoted the planning of 22 key cultural relic sites, contributing to the formation of a large - scale protection pattern for Xinjiang's cultural heritage.
As time goes by, new chapters are written every day. In 2025, Xinjiang archaeology will continue to promote the implementation of major "Archaeology in China" projects and projects coordinated with infrastructure construction. It will effectively utilize the Xinjiang archaeological specimen storage, strengthen the work of data sorting, cultural relic handover, and value interpretation, expand the talent team, and promote the high - quality development of Xinjiang's archaeological cause.
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