“In the thousands of years of civilization, life is extremely short, but some people and some things will remain in our memories for a long time.”
During the “Light of Civilization” sub-forum at the 2nd Liangzhu Forum in Hangzhou on Nov 25, Chinese and international archaeologists paid tribute to Colin Renfrew, a world-renowned archaeologist who recently passed away at the age of 87.
Vision of Fostering Cross-cultural Dialogue in Archaeology
Renfrew, a former Disney Professor of Archaeology at Cambridge University and an advocate for “social archaeology” and “cognitive archaeology”, was a leading figure in global archaeological studies. His works, including Before Civilization and Archaeology and Language, have had a profound influence on the field.
Renfrew had a deep connection with Liangzhu, visiting the site multiple times and lauding its significance. In 2017, he predicted its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list, citing extensive comparative research. He also highlighted Liangzhu’s findings in his seminal textbook Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice, dedicating an entire section to Liangzhu’s role in understanding complex societies.
After Liangzhu’s World Heritage designation in 2019, Renfrew delivered a lecture titled Liangzhu in World Prehistory, praising Chinese archaeologists’ contributions to the advancement of the field.
Liangzhu Museum Director Xu Tianjin expressed regret that Renfrew could not attend this year’s forum due to health issues. However, he emphasized that the forum’s theme, “Rediscovery of Civilization: Archaeology from a Global Perspective and Variety of Civilizations”, aligns with Renfrew’s vision of fostering cross-cultural dialogue in archaeology.
The Origin of China’s National Society
“Liangzhu almost brings the origin of China’s national society to the same height as the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia and India. They almost existed in the same period,” said Renfrew.
The Liangzhu ruins gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 2019 as a testimony to the existence of Chinese civilization at least 5,000 years ago.
More than 350 sites of the Liangzhu civilization, which date back around 5,000 years, have been discovered in the lower reaches of China’s longest river, the Yangtze.
Among the most significant archaeological findings are from the ancient Liangzhu city, where archaeologists have discovered large expanses of prehistorical rice paddies (the oldest dating back over 6,000 years), a trove of jade carving artefacts, and agricultural tools such as ploughs.
Using remote sensing, geographic information, and artificial intelligence technologies, archaeologists have figured out that the ancient civilization boasted a water conservancy network with more than 30 dams for water control and drainage.
Chen Guangsheng, director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, said that in the late period of the Liangzhu culture, people extended the city walls and built a well-structured city layout.
The Liangzhu Forum, initiated last year, invited Chinese and foreign archaeologists, cultural experts, and artists to engage in exchanges in cultural research and extended academic discussions. During this year’s forum, the Liangzhu International Archaeological Center is expected to encourage more international cooperation work to research the ancient culture.
Written by Chen Wang, additional reporting by ehangzhou and Xinhua.
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