How difficult is it to explore and study Yin Ruins under the threat of grave robbers, being regarded as charlatans and being suppressed by Japanese invaders?

1923, Li Ji, as the first doctor of philosophy (anthropology) from Harvard University in China, went to Xinzheng, Henan Province for archaeological excavation with the sponsorship of 200 yuan from Ding Wenjiang. However, this archaeological excavation ended in failure. Reluctance of local villagers, rampant grave robbers and bandits castrated this short field excavation. The first step in the archaeological history of China was so crooked, but it finally got out of that step.

In the 1920s, the political situation was turbulent, and so was the ideological circle. A large number of intellectuals bowed their heads and yearned for the west, and even called for total westernization. In this case, Chinese and western academic circles? China Civilization in the West? Is it urgent for the first generation of archaeologists in China, represented by Li Ji? Want to reverse the case? .

People were talking about it at that time? Oracle Bone Inscriptions? . Ever since the epigraphist Wang Yu 1899 first discovered Oracle Bone Inscriptions in the late Qing Dynasty, there have been constant doubts. The most famous is Mr. Zhang Taiyan, the master of Chinese studies and the hero of the Su report. Mr. Zhang Taiyan stubbornly believed that Oracle Bone Inscriptions was a group until his death? Fake antiques forged by charlatans? His reason is that the turtle shell has been buried underground for 3 thousand years, how can it not die? At the same time, didn't the tortoise shell inscription appear in history? .

When the evidence kept pointing to Xiaotun Village in Anyang, Henan Province, the first generation of archaeologists in China, who were under 40 years old, exhausted all their energy and started the excavation of Yin Ruins.

1On August 2, 928, Dong Zuobin, then an associate professor at Sun Yat-sen University, was appointed by Fu Sinian, director of the Institute of History and Language of Academia Sinica, to investigate the Yin Ruins.

19281017 to 3 1 day, the first archaeological excavation of Yin Ruins lasted for 24 days, and more than 3,000 pieces of various artifacts were unearthed in * *, including 784 pieces in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. This? A shovel? Continuing, the empirical evidence of Shang Dynasty was dug up, which also caused a sensation all over the world. Yu in the context of China? The article Discovery of Yin Ruins points out:? Such a dynasty suddenly appeared so clearly when the country was at war in the early 20th century, and its spiritual significance is self-evident. ?

However, the excavation process is not as smooth as expected. When Dong Zuobin came to Yin Ruins, he found shocking stolen caves and ruins that had been destroyed many times. He said to Fu Sinian in a hurry. A day late is a day's loss, but it will be discovered by national academic institutions in a scientific way. This is an emergency plan! ?

But Dong Zuobin is a model? Amateur? I'm not familiar with scientific archaeology. It was not until Dr. Li Ji, who returned from studying abroad, presided over the excavation of Yin Ruins that scientific excavation was on the right track. 1929 During the Spring and Autumn Period, Li Ji presided over the second and third archaeological excavations and unearthed a large number of precious cultural relics, especially a painted pottery of Yangshao culture.

But in 1930, the Central Plains War and the drought in Henan greatly troubled the archaeological team. During the war, the archaeological team was forced to go to Shandong to explore a new site, and it was not until 193 1 that the archaeological team returned to Anyang to continue the excavation. At this time, the team joined a new force, Liang Qichao's second son Liang Siyong, who was 27 years old. With the support of his father, Liang Siyong went to Harvard University to study archaeology and anthropology, and obtained a master's degree in 1930. He has always been? The first archaeologist in China? The title, become the first batch of new China academicians.

The return of Liang Siyong and Li Ji actually represents the atmosphere of studying abroad of that generation. Li Ji once said: None of the international students at that time wanted to stay in the United States for a long time, and no one had such a dream at all. At that time, all the international students returned to China after graduation. After they returned to China, when choosing a career, no one thought about how much money they earned and how to support their families. It is in the atmosphere of studying abroad that I chose my favorite subject anthropology. ?

Compared with today's wave of immigrants studying abroad, should we reflect on why?

Liang Siyong adopted 193 1 Yin Ruins for the fourth and fifth excavations? Stratigraphy? Has the professional division method been determined? Yangshao culture-Longshan culture-Shang culture? Hougang three-tier stack.

1932 the sixth excavation of yin ruins found the ruins of yin ruins palace. At that time, Liang Siyong suddenly suffered from severe pleurisy, and four bottles of yellow water were pumped out of his chest. After recovering at the end of the year, he devoted himself to intense field excavation.

1934- 10, 1 12, 12. Liang Siyong, who just turned 30, was in charge of the overall situation, and * * excavated the tombs of 10 and 1200.

1936, Guo Baojun and Liang Siyong presided over the excavation of 13 and 14 respectively, and the latter unearthed a total of Oracle bones 17096 pieces.

So far, the situation of invasion at home and abroad has not been alleviated. The Japanese invaders kept invading our territory. Since the September 18th Incident, North China has fallen into enemy hands from 1935.

At the same time, the arrogance of grave robbers undoubtedly brought great pressure to archaeological work. Feng Yuxiang, who sympathized with the archaeological team, once sent soldiers to the archaeological site. 1935 The excavation of Yin Ruins in Anyang was still harassed by bandits and bullies. Xia Nai, a student in Li Ji, once recalled: At that time, grave robbers were rampant, and they sent an anonymous letter asking us not to get our hands on the graves of the Northwest Gang, which they regarded as treasures, or we would be careful of our lives. Therefore, armed soldiers stood guard in front of the residence. ?

1937, Shi presided over the excavation of 15, which ended on June 18. Less than half a month later, the July 7th Incident broke out, and tens of thousands of Yin Ruins cultural relics were just sent to Nanjing. As the Japanese army went south like thunder, Shiyu had to send 1333 boxes of precious cultural relics, including Yin Ruins, to Changsha for refuge and then to Kunming. With the relocation of Shiyu Research Institute, it was concentrated in Longtou Village on the outskirts of Kunming, and then moved to Lizhuang, Sichuan.

The archaeological work in Longtou Village, Lizhuang and Yinxu has just entered the final stage of research, but it is also stumbling here. Disease, poverty and enemy attacks constantly plague these archaeologists. Under the present situation of broken mountains and rivers, the research difficulty is inevitable.

After four years of tossing and turning, Li Ji and other talents began to sort out the human bones and Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Yin Ruins in 194 1. At this time, Fu Sinian has? Hypertension for many years? Liang Siyong has stomach trouble and lung disease, and he is only one step away from the death gate. In order to treat Liang Siyong, Fu Sinian raised money everywhere, and finally sold all the medical materials in Shiyu, which caused public outrage, but also saved Liang Siyong's life. Li Ji's eldest daughter and second daughter were seriously ill, but he couldn't even buy the right medicine, so he had to endure the pain of witnessing their death and his illness.

As academic leaders in China, this group of intellectuals can't survive in the current situation. It is conceivable that the 40,000 disaster in China is serious. However, under such difficult circumstances, the first generation of archaeologists in China and the first batch of archaeologists in China worked hard and spared no effort.

They took the first step in archaeology in China with difficulty, which also inspired the hearts of Chinese people.

Losing dignity and cultural self-confidence, a generation of literati spent a lifetime trying to get it back. Can we lose it?