Conference about six excavation reports from Xinjiang and Tibet

From: Chinese Archaeology/ Kaogu.cn    16 December 2013
On 4th, December 2012, the Forum on Chinese Frontier Archaeology was held by the Institute of Archaeology, CASS in Beijing. 
About 30 Scholars from Institute of Archaeology, Beijing University, Renmin University of China and other institutes and universities attended the forum. It attracted nearly 100 audiences and presses including People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Guangming Daily, Chinese Cultural Relics News and many graduate students from universities.

Professor Wang Wei, the director of the Institute of Archaeology, delivered the opening speech. 
He stressed the importance of Chinese frontier archaeology and mentioned that the frontier archaeologists require much wide vision and various specific skills. Mr. Li Yuqun and Mr. Cong Dexin hosted the first panel.

Mr. Cong Dexin made an introduction to his excavation achievements at the Adunqiaolu site in Wenquan county, Xinjiang. 
Stone-slab tombs and stone-built houses have been found, which yield various burial objects and living utensils, providing important materials to reconstruct the life of localities in 4000 BP. 

Mr. Guo Wu made a speech on his excavation to the Sanhaizi site in Qinghe, Xinjiang. 
The tomb has the greatest stone-piled mound in Eurasia steppe. 
Many stone inscribed with deer designs and shield-shaped stone slabs were unearthed. 
The site could be a ritual center of the nomadic kingdom from the first millennium BC. 

Mr. Wu Xinhua presented his new important discoveries at the Quman cemetery in Pamir region in Xinjiang. 
Much evidence from the cemeteries such as massive white and black pebbles on tombs’ surface and wooden fire containers found in tombs supports that the tomb occupants from 2500 BP were Zoroastrianism believers. 

Mr. Li Yuqun gave a speech on the achievements in the Tuyugou grottoes in Turfan, Xinjiang. 
Archaeologists disclosed over ten Buddhist caves and found a stupa with a dome and a rectangular base which was the first find of this kind in Turfan. 
The stupa was in early types from the 3rd to 4th centuries. 
It provides important materials for studying the Buddhism history in Turfan. 

Mr. Liu Guoxiang made an introduction to the excavation to the Xieertala cemetery and the Ganga cemetery. 
Three tombs from the Xieertala cemetery dating back to the 9th -10th century have been wholly moved into labs for detailed indoors excavation and analysis. In the Ganga cemetery many coffins made of single wood trunks have been found, which is the largest cemetery of this kind in the Hulunbuir Pasture Land. The tombs occupants are believed to be the early Mongolians. 

Mr. Tong Tao made a report on the excavation to the Gurugym cemetery and the Quta cemetery in Ngari, Tibet. In this excavation season many tombs and house foundations have been found in both cemeteries. 
A great deal of human and animal bones was uncovered. 
Some tombs with sacrificial pits prove that human sacrifice was very prevalent in 1800 year ago. 
Many burial objects such as the golden mask, painted potteries and iron objects show their cultural connection with neighboring Himalaya regions and south Xinjiang, providing important materials for researching the early Tibet culture.

The second panel hosted by Mr. Liu Guoxiang and Mr. Wu Xinhua focused on the discussion on the six speeches, and the methods, theories, aims and significance of the frontier archaeology. 
Mr. Meng Fanren, Mr. Wang Renxiang and Mr. Wei Jian and scholars from various fields expressed their views from different perspectives. 
The achievements of the six discoveries were fully affirmed; however much further work is needed. 
Some questions related to the cultural ascriptions, dating and function of the new findings, even the name of frontier archaeology, were fully debated. 

(Translator: Tong Tao)


Article from Xinhuanet.com with English "Google Translate" Translation
边疆考古所涵盖的区域相当广泛，可以说是内容最为丰富的考古学研究领域之一。如果将中国边疆地区放在更广阔的文化背景下观察，其往往是文化核心区。因此，边疆考古的最新成果备受国际国内学术界的高度关注。12月4日，由中国社会科学院考古研究所主办的“2013年度中国边疆考古论坛”在京举行，来自中国社会科学院考古所、北京大学、中国人民大学、国家博物馆、中央民族大学等单位的40余位专家学者与会。
　　论坛上，中国社会科学院考古研究所发布了2013年度六项边疆考古发现，即新疆温泉阿敦乔鲁遗址与墓葬、新疆帕米尔曲曼黑白石条墓葬、新疆青河县三海子遗址、新疆吐鲁番地区吐峪沟西区考古、内蒙古谢尔塔拉墓地与岗嘎墓地、西藏阿里噶尔县故如甲木墓地的最新研究成果。在这些新发现中，实验室考古、遥感探测、低空航拍等新技术在田野作业中的应用成为亮点。
　　阿敦乔鲁遗址及墓地位于新疆博尔塔拉蒙古族自治州温泉县。今年发掘的以石砌房址为代表的建筑遗迹组合，很可能是博尔塔拉河流域甚至更大范围内具有中心性质的祭祀或举行重要仪式的活动场所，是西天山地区乃至中亚草原青铜时代最大的单体石砌建筑。墓葬中出土的女性头骨及陶器、石研磨器、骨制鱼鳔等特色器物，是目前西天山地区反映距今4000年前后欧罗巴人群生活面貌最完整的材料。在所见的同类遗迹中，阿敦乔鲁遗址和墓地的规模较大且完整，显示了其在西天山地区乃至中亚地区早期青铜时代遗存中的重要位置。
　　新疆帕米尔曲曼白石条墓葬位于新疆塔什库尔干塔吉克自治县曲曼村。今年夏天，考古工作者对其中的10座墓葬进行科学发掘，发现这座距今2500年的墓葬中有大量用火遗迹，并首次发现拜火教入葬使用的木制“火坛”，系明火入葬习俗，这为拜火教起源研究提供了重要资料。
　　新疆青河县三海子遗址位于新疆阿尔泰山水草丰美的花海子湖畔。今年，考古工作者在遗址中发现了迄今为止欧亚草原上最大的石堆遗迹，石堆中有不少叠放的五边形盾形石板，其中一块比较特别，表面刻有图案，上部中间为圆形，圆形周围有排列整齐的人字纹，此外还发现了祭祀坑。据专家推测，这里可能是公元前一千纪早期游牧王国的祭祀中心。祭祀坑的发现，揭示了礼仪活动在草原文化社会复杂化中的重要作用。
　　新疆吐鲁番地区吐峪沟西区考古发掘出两处遗迹，一处是沟西区中部高台北侧区域，一处是沟东区地面佛寺。沟西区高台共清理10余处洞窟，发现一座方形基座圆形覆钵式塔，与之毗邻还清理出另一个佛殿窟，出土了相当数量的壁画和泥塑残件。往南部分清理了一组佛殿、禅窟，在禅窟中发现回鹘文题记。最南端清理出一组多次改建的洞窟，形制为吐鲁番地区罕见。吐峪沟遗址的发掘为吐鲁番地区乃至整个新疆地区的佛教研究提供了重要实物资料。
　　内蒙古谢尔塔拉墓地位于内蒙古呼伦贝尔市海拉尔区谢尔塔拉镇东约5公里的台地上，考古工作者在该遗址共发现3座保存完整的墓葬。在发掘过程中，考古人员制定了周密的发掘及文化遗产保护方案，在墓葬发掘到棺盖板后，文化遗产保护专家到达现场，采用套箱方式将墓葬整取运回呼伦贝尔民族博物馆，开展实验室考古。同时，研究者对陈巴尔虎旗岗嘎墓地进行了抢救性发掘，清理出6座墓葬，均以独木棺为葬具，出土桦树皮箭囊、木杆铁镞、铜耳饰等一批珍贵文物，初步推断其年代为7世纪至8世纪。经过考古钻探，确认该墓地还分布有10余座以独木棺为葬具的墓葬，这是呼伦贝尔草原迄今所发现的规模最大的以独木棺为葬具的古墓群。
　　西藏阿里噶尔县故如甲木墓地是一处分布相当密集的象雄时期古墓群，与象雄国都城“穹窿银城”存在密不可分的关系。今年在前期发掘工作的基础上进一步发现了人殉的确切证据，为探寻二次葬的埋葬过程提供了重要资料。同时，考古工作者还发现了用横木搭建墓顶的墓葬，说明该墓地存在不少较高级别的墓葬。其中两座墓葬规模较大，在阿里地区极为少见。墓地还首次发现了与札达及其临近的北印度地区类似的带流陶器和铁器，确认了这些墓地在文化上的一体性。新出土的黄金面具、彩陶器的发现，进一步说明该地区古代文化的丰富性和一体性，为西藏早期文明研究提供了重要依据。

Frontier Archaeology area covers a wide range , can be said to be one of the most content rich archaeological research. If the Chinese border areas in a broader cultural context under observation, it is often the cultural core area. Therefore , the latest achievements of the Frontier Archeology much attention of international and domestic academic circles. December 4 , sponsored by the Institute of Archaeology , " 2013 Annual Chinese Frontier Archaeology Forum" held in Beijing , I come from the Institute of Archaeology , Peking University, Renmin University of China , National Museum , Central University of Nationalities units 40 experts and scholars .
Forum, Institute of Archaeology released 2013 annual six frontier archaeological discoveries , namely Xinjiang spa adun Corum ruins and tombs, Xinjiang Pamir song Man in black and white granite tombs, Qinghe County , Xinjiang Sanhaizi site, Turpan region Tuyugou Western archeology,内蒙古谢尔塔拉cemetery and Gang Ga cemetery, Ali gar wood County it as a cemetery latest research results. In these new findings, laboratory archeology, remote sensing , low-altitude aerial application of new technologies such as a bright spot in the job field .
Adun Corum ruins and cemetery located in the Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang Boertala Hot Springs County . This stone house sites to explore , represented by a combination of architectural monuments , is likely to be even larger in the river basin Boertala important ritual or a ceremony held in the center of activities with the nature of the West Tianshan region and the steppes of Central Asia bronze Age largest single stone buildings . Female skulls unearthed tombs and pottery, stone grinders , and other characteristics of bone artifacts Maw , is reflected in the Western Tianshan region dating back 4,000 years ago Hououluoba crowd the most complete material aspects of life . Seen similar in ruins , monuments and cemeteries scale adun Corum large and complete, shows its important position in the Early Bronze Age remains of the West Tianshan region and in Central Asia .
Whitehead Mann song of the Pamirs in Xinjiang tombs Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang taxkorgan song Mann Village . This summer, archaeologists on which the 10 tombs scientific excavations found this tombs dating back 2,500 years , there remains a lot of fire , and was first discovered wooden " fire of the altar ," demeaning use of Zoroastrianism , the Department of flame into the burial customs, which provides important information for the study of the origin of Zoroastrianism .
Qinghe County , Xinjiang Sanhaizi site is located in Xinjiang Altai lush flowers Hai Lake. This year , archaeologists found the ruins of the largest to date on the rubble remains of the Eurasian steppe , there are a lot of rubble stacked stone pentagon shield , where a rather special surface engraved with a pattern , the upper middle round, there are neatly arranged around a circular herringbone pattern , also found the burial pits . According to experts speculated that there may be one thousand BC discipline early nomadic kingdom worship center. Found in burial pits , revealing the important role of ritual activity in the steppe culture of social complexity .
Turpan region Tuyugou Western archaeological ruins of the two , is a high- Taipei side ditch West Central region , one is a Buddhist temple ditch Eastern ground . West of cleaning up the high- ditch more than 10 caves , discovered a square base covered bowl round tower , with adjoining also cleared another Buddha Cave , excavated a considerable number of remnants of frescoes and clay . South part of the clean-up of a group of Buddha, Buddhist caves found in Zen Uighur Inscription Cave . Southernmost clean out a set of multiple alterations caves, rare shape of the Turpan area . Excavations Tuyugou site provides an important kind of information for the study of Buddhism in Turpan in Xinjiang region and the whole region .
内蒙古谢尔塔拉cemetery located in Inner Mongolia Hulunbeier Hailar District Town Tara Rochelle about 5 km plateau , archaeologists were found in three intact tombs at the site . In the course of excavations , archaeologists made ​​a careful excavation and heritage protection programs , tombs excavated in the lid plate , the cultural heritage protection experts arrived at the scene , using the glove box ways to get shipped back to the whole burial Hulunbeier Ethnographic Museum , to carry out experiments room archeology . Meanwhile , researchers CHENBAERHUQI Gang Ga cemetery conducted salvage excavations , clean out the six tombs, are unique burial coffin was unearthed birch bark quiver , wood iron arrowheads, copper earrings and a number of precious relics , we concluded that its age is in the 7th century to the 8th century . After the archaeological drilling , confirm that the cemetery is also distributed with more than 10 seats in single coffin for the burial tombs , which is the largest single wooden coffin was buried in tombs with the Hulun Buir Grassland discovered so far .
Ali Gar Wood County it as a cemetery is a distributed fairly dense Katao period tombs, the existence of a close relationship with the state capital of Shang Shung " dome Silver City ." On the basis of this preliminary excavation work on further found conclusive evidence of human sacrifice , in order to explore the secondary burial burial process provides important information . Meanwhile, archaeologists also found Muding tombs built by the crossbar , indicating that there are many high -level cemetery burial . Two of the larger tombs in Ngari extremely rare. Also for the first time discovered a cemetery with Zanda and neighboring regions like North Indian pottery and iron with the flow , confirmed these cemeteries in the cultural unity . Newly unearthed gold masks, pottery is found , further illustrate the region's rich and ancient culture of unity for the study of early civilization in Tibet provides an important basis .