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230 Yang Yong Chapter 18 New Archaeological Discoveries of the Bronze and the Early Iron Age in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and Some Related Problems Yang Yong Abstract The results of some new excavations at Early Bronze and Iron Age sites in the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau are summarized in this paper. The discoveries indicate that the Bronze Age in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau began at least from the second half of the 2nd millennium BC. Hitherto, the continuity from the Bronze Age culture to the cultures of Yelang or Dian has not yet been proven. However, both Iron Age cultures that were distributed along the Southwestern Silk Road during the second half of the 1st millennium are much better known now than before. Besides, with the growing collections of artifacts in southwestern China and the cultures of Dong Son or Pre-Funan, a more detailed interpretation of the contact between the peoples in Southeast Asia is possible. Introduction The Yunnan-Guizhou plateau is a separate geographical part of Southwest China. Compared with the neighboring regions, the environment and traditional cultures of this area have a special character (Yao 2010). In addition, some important routes of ancient trade and migration and cultural contacts between China and Southeast Asia and India led through this region that are called “Southwestern Silk Roads”. Some small tribal territories were distributed over this area before the Han Empire conquered the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau late in the 2nd century BC. These tribes were called “Xinan Yi” (西南夷) in the “Shi Ji” (史记) and in other ancient Chinese records, and the Dian and Yelang are the best known tribes of this group. These peoples created their own specific cultures and have carried on a highly developed bronze casting tradition. Inspired by trade and other influences, the “Xinan Yi” people also began to use iron from at least the late 3rd century BC. During the last 60 years, Chinese archaeologists excavated many relics of the Bronze and Early Iron Age in the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau, including the famous Shizhaishan (石寨山) and Lijiashan (李家山) cemeteries. These archaeological discoveries enriched our knowledge of the history and culture of the “Xinan Yi”. This paper will illuminate the most important recent discoveries of the Bronze and Early Iron Age in the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau, and highlight some related problems [Fig. 18.1]. New Discoveries of Early Bronzes Early bronze objects of the 2nd millennium BC were discovered at the Haimenkou (海门口), Yinsuodao (银梭岛), Yeshishan (野石山) and Jigongshan (鸡公山) sites. Haimenkou site is located in Jianchuan (剑川) county in the northwest of Yunnan province (E 99°55’10”, N 26°28’14”). In 2008, this settlement site was excavated for the third time (Yunnan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology et al. 2009b). Excavated remains of wooden buildings with stone implements, pottery and bronze objects covered an area of 20,000m2 . According to 230 Crossing Borders hi res combined230 230 8/23/2012 7:46:27 PM 231 New Archaeological Discoveries of the Bronze and the Early Iron Age the excavators, after a first phase with layers of the Late Stone Age (about 3000–1900 BC), the remains of the Bronze Age belong to two different phases. From the second phase, represented by two layers 6 and 7, some small bronze tools including a knife, bell, chisel and awl, survived at Haimenkou and belong to the earliest bronze objects in southwestern China. In the layer of the third phase, represented by two layers 4 and 5, besides some bronzes like a chisel, awl, two arrowheads and three bracelets [Fig. 18.2], a stone casting mold for a bronze axe was found [Fig. 18.3]. There was also much pottery (pots, basins, bowls), stone tools (awls, adzes, axes, knives) and bone artifacts (awls, hairpins, arrowheads, spades) discovered in the layers of phases 2 and 3. On the basis of some radiocarbon dates from wooden samples taken from posts during the excavations in 1957 and 1978, the excavators suggested a date of 1800–1200 BC for the second phase, and a date of 1100–500 BC for the third phase. Yinsuodao site is a shell mound with a size of 4000m2 that is located on an island in Erhai Lake (洱海) near Dali (大理) City in the western part Fig. 18.1: Sites of the Bronze and Early Iron Age excavated in the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau in recent years that are mentioned in the text (Drawing: Yang Yong). Fig. 18.2: Bronze objects discovered at Haimenkou site: 1. bell (l. 3.8cm), 2. knife (l. 5...

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