Scholars discuss study of prehistoric cultures

More than 5,000 years ago, the Hongshan culture emerged in what is now northeastern China, leaving behind jade artifacts, ritual sites and a sophisticated belief system. Today, scholars say its values of harmony, inclusiveness and exchange continue to offer insights into how civilizations interact and evolve.

On Wednesday afternoon, Chinese and international scholars gathered in Chaoyang, Liaoning province, for an academic seminar to discuss the core values of Hongshan culture from the perspective of mutual learning among civilizations, held as part of the 2026 Conference on Hongshan Culture.

Guo Dashun, a renowned archaeologist and honorary director of the Hongshan Culture Research Institute, who participated in excavations at the Niuheliang site, said Hongshan serves as a typical representation of the origins and characteristics of Chinese civilization.

"Its exchanges with diverse cultures reflected the inclusive nature of Chinese civilization and contributed to its enduring continuity," Guo said.

Building on this perspective, Wang Wei, a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said archaeological discoveries related to Hongshan culture provide important evidence for understanding the more than 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization.

He added that cultural elements associated with Hongshan culture, including its jade ritual system and dragon imagery, shaped the spiritual world of early China and continue to influence Chinese civilization today.

Looking beyond its role in the development of Chinese civilization, international scholars also highlighted Hongshan culture's significance in the broader history of human civilization.

Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, a Sinologist from the United States, described Hongshan culture as a "cultural miracle", highlighting its importance in the study of prehistoric civilizations worldwide.

She said Hongshan culture is one of the few Neolithic cultures known archaeologically to have documented a complex society transitioning from a hunting-and-gathering society to an agrarian one.

"It also represents one of the earliest examples of a highly developed and standardized system of ancestor worship and ritual practices," Childs-Johnson said.

Lyu Xueming, a professor at the School of History at Renmin University of China, said elements such as ritual architecture, spatial planning and ceremonial pathways formed a regional cultural system that attracted and connected people from distant areas.

Such ritual traditions, according to Li Xinwei, director of the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens, a Beijing-backed research institute based in Greece, reflected a unique worldview that shaped later approaches to governance and political organization.

Alexey Kovalev from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences found similarities between a circular ritual structure discovered in the Munkh-Khairkhan culture and ritual architecture at the Niuheliang site. He suggested that the northern culture originating near Lake Baikal may have inherited certain traditions connected with Hongshan culture.

"The significance of Hongshan culture extends beyond archaeology. It reminds us that civilizations have never developed in complete isolation," said Gor Sargsyan, foreign director of the Confucius Institute at Yerevan Brusov State University in Armenia.

He added that studying Hongshan culture is not only about exploring China's ancient heritage, but also about creating opportunities for dialogue and mutual learning among civilizations. Other scholars also shared their perspectives on the ancient culture, emphasizing its enduring value in promoting dialogue, understanding and cooperation among civilizations.

baishuhao@chinadaily.com.cn