The large-scale documentary series "Searching for Ancient China, Searching for Summer" jointly produced by ** Radio and Television Station and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage will be broadcast at 22:30 on CCTV Comprehensive Channel (CCTV-1) from December 21.
The 5-episode documentary focuses on the important archaeological excavations and latest research results of Chinese archaeologists about Xia over the past 60 years, verifying the real existence, survival time, economic development, national governance, social system and cultural prosperity of the Xia Dynasty, revealing that the Xia Dynasty formed a more mature form of ancient civilization and radiated cultural influence to all directionsThe rise of Xia culture is an important symbol of Chinese civilization's transition from pluralism to unity, and has continued to influence China for thousands of years.
Poster of the documentary "In Search of Ancient China, In Search of Summer".
Xia is the "first dynasty" in Chinese history, and it is recorded in almost all historical documents. However, what is the physical evidence of the real existence of the ancient and mysterious Xia Dynasty?Why is it called a Wide Domain Monarchy?How has it created a civilization that has had a wide and far-reaching impact?"In Search of Ancient China: In Search of Summer" organically combines archaeological exploration with the study of historical documents, and solves one historical mystery after another through numerous cultural relics, sites and documents.
Henan Dengfeng Wangchenggang site.
Overlooking the ruins of Dengfeng Wangchenggang.
1977 Dengfeng Archaeological Work Conference**.
The program systematically sorted out the little-known stories in the process of reconstructing the letter history of the Xia Dynasty by several generations of Chinese archaeologists, and there were many public disclosures for the first time, such as the precious ** and moving details of the 1977 Henan Dengfeng Conference that marked the turn of the archaeological peak of the Xia Dynasty;From the site of Dengfeng Wangchenggang to the ruins of Wadian in Yuzhou, Henan, the ruins of Xinmi Xinqi and the ruins of Yanshi Erlitou, a variety of cultural factors of the Chinese land converged in the Central Plains, and finally gave birth to the Erlitou culture represented by the cultural relics of the Erlitou ruinsFrom the mining of the Wenxi Qianjin Rake site in Shanxi, to the smelting of the Xiwubi site in Jiangxian County and the Dongxiafeng site in Xia County, and then to the casting and processing workshop at the Erlitou site, the archaeological research results of the bronze casting industry chain of the Xia Dynasty are fully displayed.
Shanxi Wenxi Qianjin Rake Mining Site.
Shanxi Xia County Dongxia Feng smelting site.
Reproduction of the ancient Fan casting method.
"In Search of Ancient China: In Search of Summer" is the first in-depth interpretation of the turquoise dragon-shaped ware unearthed from the Erlitou site, which is composed of more than 2,000 pieces of turquoise chips of different shapes. Unlike the dragon-shaped vessels unearthed before, which were basically C-shaped, it is a long jade dragon with horns and diamond-shaped ornamentation. Some archaeologists believe that the image of the dragon in Chinese culture originated from the Erlitou culture.
Turquoise dragon-shaped device.
The Erlitou site is the site of the capital city of the middle and late Xia Dynasty identified by most archaeologists in China today. In 2022, the archaeological team found for the first time that the two east-west roads in the north and south of Miyagi in the site extend from east to west, respectively, and there are rammed earth walls on both sides of the road that are in a straight line or parallel to the south wall of Miyagi. This allows people today to learn more about how the Xia people built the capital. The Erlitou site presents a rigorous grid structure and is divided into a number of square and neat grid areas, which shows that the social structure of the Xia Dynasty is obvious and orderly, and it also suggests that there was a mature ruling system and model at that time, which is the most important symbol of the Xia Dynasty's entry into the dynastic state.
Henan Yanshi Erlitou Ruins No. 1 palace foundation site.
Erlitou Ruins The foundation site of the No. 2 palace.
Close-up view of the Erlitou ruins.
Restoration map of the Erlitou site.
The search for ancient China: Searching for Xia Ji also publicly disclosed for the first time: the test results of today's scientists on the DNA of Xia people's bones at the Dongxia Feng site show that the genes of Xia people's bones are more than 90% similar to those of modern Chinese, proving that humans in the area ruled by the Xia Dynasty 3,800 years ago are our ancestors;According to the big data of Xia people's bones and genes, experts also restored the appearance of a woman from the Xia Dynasty.
The appearance of women in the Xia Dynasty restored through digital technology.
"Looking for Ancient China, Looking for Summer" continues to deepen the creative concept of "thought + art + technology", using new technologies such as "XR+" and large-scale scene 3D scanning to reproduce the scene of Dayu's river patrol and water control, restore the palace city of Erlitou ruins, and activate the cultural relics such as pottery elephant trunks and turquoise dragon-shaped vessels, so that the social scene of Xia is more specific and vivid.
XR+ technology" reproduces Dayu's water control.
Restoration map of the copper casting workshop of the Erlitou site.
Restoration map of the ruins of the capital city of Erlitou.
3D scan showing the excavation of the Erlitou site of the elephant trunk.
The new ** platform of CCTV, CCTV Network and other ** radio and television stations will broadcast "Looking for Ancient China, Looking for Summer" simultaneously with CCTV Comprehensive Channel (CCTV-1).