Why is it said that the "Northern Maritime Silk Road" was formed during the Han and Wei dynasties?

Some scholars call this maritime communication line from the coast of Shandong - the Liaodong Peninsula - the west coast of the Korean Peninsula - the Japanese archipelago the "Northern Maritime Silk Road" or the "East China Sea Silk Road" (Zhu Yafei: "On the Early Northern Maritime Silk Road"). This Northern Maritime Silk Road connecting the coastal areas of the Yellow and Bohai Seas was gradually formed through economic and cultural exchanges in the coastal areas of the Yellow and Bohai Seas. It sprouted in the middle of the Neolithic Age, and went through the late Neolithic Age to the formation period of the Bronze Age to the Qin and Han Dynasties. Sea transportation has become normalized. The Silk Road in the true sense began around the Eastern Zhou Dynasty when the silk weaving industry in Qi was prosperous, and was formed during the Han and Wei dynasties.

Schematic diagram of the Maritime Silk Road

1

The budding period of the Neolithic Age

According to the existing archaeological data, the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula Exchange activities with the Jiaodong Peninsula were very frequent as early as the Neolithic Age. During the Xiaozhushan Phase II culture period about 6,500 years ago, whetstones, stone balls, grooved talc net pendants, etc. appeared at the southern end of the Liaodong Peninsula and the Jiaodong Peninsula. These stone tools are very similar in terms of materials and shapes. . It can be seen from this cultural phenomenon that there should have been some contact between the Liaodong Peninsula and the Jiaodong Peninsula during this period. By the time of the third phase of the Xiaozhushan Culture, the overall pottery in the Liaodong Peninsula still maintained its own independent style, but some clearly Jiaodong-style artifacts appeared, such as goblet-shaped vessels, kettles, basin-shaped tripods, mushroom-shaped handles, etc. , and there are painted pottery pieces similar in style to the lower layer of the Zijingshan site. Some scholars believe that the Shandong pottery unearthed in the Liaodong Peninsula is not the result of imitation, but may be caused by the flow of the pottery itself.

Jishi Tombs

By the time of the fifth phase of the Xiaozhushan Culture, the pottery at the southern end of the Liaodong Peninsula began to have a strong Longshan Culture color. As a result, academic circles once regarded the Liaodong Peninsula as The culture is classified into Shandong Longshan Culture. During this period, a large-scale burial form - stone tombs - appeared in the Liaodong Peninsula, such as Siping Mountain in Lushun, Anzi Mountain in Dalian, Wangshantou in Jinzhou, etc. A large number of exquisite black pottery, eggshell pottery and a certain number of jade articles common to the Longshan Culture were unearthed from these stone mounds. The texture and color of the jades from the stone tomb are very similar to those from Shandong. The sources of jade materials from the two places may be the same, indicating that the exchanges between the two places during this period were very close and in-depth. In addition, stone anchors weighing more than ten kilograms were found in the waters around the Miaodao Islands, which can anchor ships of two to three tons. A pottery vulture was salvaged from the sea about 10 kilometers northwest of Beihuangcheng Island. The age was between the Longshan Culture and the Yueshi Culture. Judging from the accumulation of underwater pottery, it may be the result of a capsized boat. During this period, the exchanges between the Liaodong Peninsula and the Jiaodong Peninsula were unprecedentedly close, which brought huge social changes to the Liaodong Peninsula.

The half-moon spread of rice agriculture also indicates the existence of maritime dispersal routes. Research shows that my country's rice agriculture originated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Rich rice agriculture remains have been discovered in Shandong during the Dawenkou Culture period, and were even richer and more developed during the Longshan Culture period. The latest research shows that rice agriculture in the Jiaodong Peninsula first appeared in the early Longshan Culture, and the remains of rice agriculture in the southern end of the Liaodong Peninsula also appeared in the early Longshan Culture. This shows that there is almost no time difference in the development of rice agriculture in the two places. Undoubtedly, rice agriculture was spread from the Jiaodong Peninsula to the Liaodong Peninsula via the sea, and was later introduced to the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Archipelago.

2

The development of the Bronze Age

A schematic diagram of the restoration of the eastward crossing route of ancient Chinese bronze craftsmen

The archeology of the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula in the Bronze Age The cultures are Shuangtunzi first phase culture, Shuangtunzi second phase culture, Shuangtunzi third phase culture and Shuangfang culture successively. During the Shuangtongzi Phase I culture, there were many similarities between the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula and the Longshan Late Culture of the same period in Shandong. The most common utensils of the two include a large number of slip-shoulder jars, single-handled cups, lids, beans, bowls, three-legged utensils, etc. In particular, some scholars believe that the nature of the stone tomb in Laotieshan, Lushun should also be classified as a double weight. During the first period of the culture, the objects unearthed in the stone tomb are basically the same as those of the Longshan culture in Shandong. It can be seen from the unearthed objects of the first phase of Shuangtunzi culture that there are few indigenous cultural factors, while Longshan cultural factors account for the majority.

The situation during the second phase of Shuangtunzi culture is similar to the situation in the first phase of Shuangtunzi culture. Regarding the nature of the second phase of Shuangtunzi culture, there are two different understandings: the indigenous culture theory and the Yueshi culture theory. Although there are differences in understanding, everyone agrees that the second phase of Shuangdunzi culture contains more elements of Yue Shi culture. The common utensils of the two are such as zhen, three-legged jars, double-mouth jars, large-mouth jars, bowls, Basins, double-mouthed lids, bowls, cups, sand-filled middle-mouth jars, tripods, etc. It can be seen from the above that the Shuangtunzi Phase I and II cultural periods still continued the Neolithic Age exchanges across the Bohai Strait from the Shandong Peninsula to the Jiaodong Peninsula.

By the third phase of the Shuangtunzi culture period, the cultural exchanges between the Jiaodong Peninsula and the Liaodong Peninsula through the Bohai Strait were significantly reduced. This was mainly due to Xia Jie's eastward expedition to the Dongyi tribes and the Chinese merchant culture in the late Xia Dynasty. During this period, from Zhongding to the end of Shang Dynasty, the continuous conquests against Dongyi led to the final decline of Yue Shi culture. From the late Shang Dynasty to the early Western Zhou Dynasty, the Pearl Gate Culture distributed in the Jiaodong Peninsula was a Dongyi culture that had a certain affinity with the Yue Shi Culture. It was overwhelmed by the long-term competition with the Shang Dynasty, and it was even less able to expand across the Bohai Strait to the Liaodong Peninsula.

Against this background, local cultures represented by the Shuangluozi Three-Phase Culture and the Shuangfang Culture have emerged in the Liaodong Peninsula. Especially the Shuangfang Culture, the distribution scope is no longer limited to the Liaodong Peninsula, but has a wider influence. There are different views on the ethnic origin of the Shuangfang Culture, but it undoubtedly belongs to a relatively powerful ancient nation. Even after the founding of the Qi State, there are no documented records of the Qi State's northward march into the Liaodong Peninsula. Therefore, from the late Shang Dynasty to the Zhou Dynasty, this once busy sea route fell silent for a time.

Of course, this does not mean that this kind of communication has been blocked. According to research by some scholars, during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the trade activities between Qi State and Haibei can be sure to have imported valuable furs. Further inspection of archaeological data can reveal that the trade goods of both parties also included copper weapons, and may also include copper ritual vessels, etc., and personnel. Mutual exchanges are also relatively frequent; and the sea channel connecting the Jiaodong Peninsula and the Liaodong Peninsula is likely to start from Zijing Mountain and go north through Changdao Beizhuang, Dakou and other ruins to the Guojiacun area (Wang Qing: "Guanzi" "Fa, Korea") "Archaeological Exploration of Wenpi").

A Chinese-style bronze sword unearthed in Sanglin-ri, Wanju County, South Korea

A double-headed double-hoop stem sword unearthed in China from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty

In addition, some scholars are also studying Korea After a systematic analysis of the bronze swords unearthed from the Shanglinli site in Wanzhou, it was concluded that the Shanglinli bronze sword has the style of Wuyue bronze swords, but its age may be as late as the middle of the Warring States Period in the 4th century BC. It should be China that mastered the Tao model sword-making technology. Craftsmen from mainland China traveled east to the Korean Peninsula and cast them locally. The general route of this journey to the east was deduced, that is: from Hangzhou Bay or the Yangtze River Estuary to the sea, along the west coast of the Yellow Sea to the north to Penglai; across the Bohai Strait to the southern end of the Liaodong Peninsula; and then eastward along the northern coast of the Yellow Sea to the Yellow Sea West Korea Bay; and then southward from this coast to the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula (Bai Yunxiang: "On the Two Eastward Excursions of Ancient Chinese Bronze Craftsmen from the Bronze Swords of Sanglimri in South Korea and the Bronze Mirrors of Pingyuan Village in Japan").

3

Normalization during the Qin and Han Dynasties

In the middle and late Warring States Period, according to "Historical Records·Fengchan Shu", "Ziwei, Xuan and Yanzhao sent people into the sea Ask for Penglai, Fangzhang and Yingzhou." This northern Maritime Silk Road, which began in the Neolithic Age, was revitalized due to the wars in the Central Plains during this period that led to population migration, the development of trade, and the Qi Yan monarch's pursuit of the maritime fairyland and the elixir of immortality.

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, traffic on this sea route became increasingly busy, and it became a normal sea route connecting my country's eastern coastal areas and the Liaodong Peninsula, as well as as far away as the Korean Peninsula and even the Japanese archipelago. After Qin Shihuang unified the world, he also had a strong interest in the sea wonderland and the elixir of immortality. This is recorded in "Historical Records: Book of Fengchan" and "Historical Records: The Chronicles of Qin Shihuang". Xu Fu went to the sea to seek magic medicine from immortals, which lasted for 8 years and made several trips back and forth. At the same time as him, there were Lu Sheng, Han Zhong, Hou Sheng, Shi Sheng and others who entered the sea to seek immortality. This was a large-scale sailing activity officially organized by the Qin Dynasty.

Ancient ship traders

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was also very keen on going into the sea to seek magic medicine from immortals. According to relevant records in "Historical Records" and "Hanshu", Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty patrolled the coast at least eight times during his 54 years in power, and even sailed on the "floating sea" himself. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent alchemists to "go into the sea to seek Penglai" for more than 40 years, often with tens of millions of participants. Although "there is no test in the end," these activities have an important impact on the history of Chinese navigation.

The "floating sea" immigrants from Liaodong during the Han Dynasty and the "pirate" Zhang Bolu incident in the Eastern Han Dynasty also show that the sea route to and from the Jiaodong Peninsula has become normal. According to the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty", there are records from the Jiaodong Peninsula "floating sea" in Liaodong to the entire Han Dynasty starting from the early Western Han Dynasty. For example, Wang Zhong in the third year of Emperor Wen's reign in the early Han Dynasty, Fengmeng in the Wang Mang period, Taishi Ci, Bingyuan, Guan Ning, Guoyuan, Wang Lie, etc. in the late Eastern Han Dynasty all once "floated the sea" in Liaodong. "Book of the Later Han: Biography of Faxiong" records that regarding the incident of "pirate" Zhang Bolu, Faxiong once said, "If a thief floats on the sea in a boat and goes deep into a distant island, it will not be easy to attack him." There are also records in the same article: "The thieves were frightened again and fled to Liaodong, stopping on the island. In the spring of the fifth year, they were short of food and raided Donglai again. Xiong led the county soldiers to defeat them, and the thieves fled back to Liaodong." "Pirates" can travel between Liaodong and Donglai and live on the island, which shows that this sea route is smooth. In the autumn of the second year of Yuanfeng (109 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent General Yang Pu, the general of the Han Dynasty, to lead the navy from Qi across the Bohai Sea. He sent General Xun Shen of the left to lead the army south to the Yalu River. He also sent troops to North Korea. Yang Pu should have left. This is also the sea route. The Bohai Sea route may also be the long-distance travel path of the "Dead Man of Qin" (Wang Zijin: "A Brief Discussion on the Problem of the "Dead Man" of Korea during the Qin and Han Dynasties"). According to some Japanese historical records, at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, some Han people who originally lived in the Korean Peninsula went south to the Japanese Archipelago to seek a place to settle. They claimed to be descendants of Qin Shi Huang, which actually refers to people from China in general. They also followed this northern sea route south to the Japanese Archipelago. (Zhu Yafei: "On the Early Northern Maritime Silk Road"). Stone sheds widely distributed in the Liaodong Peninsula of my country and dolmens on the Korean Peninsula have been found in many areas of Japan. This cultural relic was undoubtedly spread to the Japanese archipelago through the sea route in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

"Lunheng" written by Wang Chong of the Eastern Han Dynasty mentions that "Japanese people offered 鬯草" during the Western Zhou Dynasty. Ban Gu's "Hanshu" also said that "there are Japanese people in the Lelang Sea, and they are divided into more than a hundred countries. Come and see the clouds.” This shows that there was official contact between the Japanese archipelago and the Central Plains Dynasty during this period.

According to the "Historical Records·Biographies of Huo Shi", during the Spring and Autumn Period, the Qi State "had the best clothes and the best clothes in the world". Linzi, the capital of Qi State, became the center of the textile industry at that time, which also promoted the development of the textile industry in other parts of Qi State and neighboring areas. Documents record that the silk fabrics produced in Qi during the Warring States Period included brocade, silk, gauze, Luo, dan, qi, onyx and other varieties. "Mozi Fei Yue" said, "Women work hard at night and day, spinning and weaving, and often treating hemp, silk and kudzu... This is how they divide their duties." When Li Si of the Qin State discussed the valuables imported from various countries to the Qin State, he mentioned the "Ahao Clothes" produced in Dong'a, Qidi. During the Han Dynasty, the Sanfuguan Handicraft Workshop was established in Linzi, and its scale was comparable to that of the East-West Weaving Workshop in Chang'an. Japan was still in a primitive cultural period during the Jomon period. During the Yayoi culture period, under the influence of foreign culture, bronzes, ironware and textiles began to appear, and rice cultivation began. "Wei Zhi Dongyi Biography" records that Japan "cultivated rice and rice" in the Han Dynasty. The results of hemp and sericulture production yielded fine silk reels, which is consistent with the archaeological findings. The rise of Japan's textile industry should have been stimulated by the textile industry centered in the Qilu region during the Zhou, Qin, Han and Wei dynasties, and spread along the sea route around the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea coastal areas that had begun to appear in the Neolithic Age. According to literature, during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the Central Plains dynasties of Japan and China not only donated silk fabrics to each other, but also recorded textile craftsmen exchanging techniques. Documents combined with archaeological data show that this sea route during the Han and Wei dynasties has become a true Maritime Silk Road.