The Nestorian temple ruins west of Turpan have been shortlisted for the new archaeological discoveries in China in 2023. The Moor Temple ruins in Kashgar have been shortlisted.
2024/01/30 21:58 Tianshan Net-Xinjiang Daily
Tianshan Net – Xinjiang Daily (reported by reporter Zhao Mei) On January 30, the “Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archeology Forum·New Archaeological Discoveries in China in 2023” was hosted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and hosted by the Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Archaeological Magazine. The results of the selection were announced in Beijing: 6 projects including the Nestorian temple ruins from the Tang and Song Dynasties in the west of Turpan City, Xinjiang were shortlisted, and 7 projects including the Moor Temple ruins from the Han and Tang Dynasties in Kashgar City, Xinjiang were shortlisted.
On January 30, the selection results of the “Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archeology Forum·New Archaeological Discoveries in China in 2023” were announced in Beijing. Six projects including the Nestorian temple ruins of the Tang and Song Dynasties in the west of Turpan City, Xinjiang were selected.Pictures provided by Turpan Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau
The Archeology Forum of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences was founded in 2002. The annual new archaeological discoveries announced at the forum are referred to as the “Six Major New Archaeological Discoveries”. Compared with the selection of the “Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in the Country” commissioned by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and organized by China Cultural Relics Newspaper and the Chinese Archaeological Society, the selection criteria of the “Six New Archaeological Discoveries” are considered to be more biased towards the academic value of archaeological projects.
“Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archeology Forum·New Archaeological Discoveries in China in 2023” awards ceremony.
The ruins of the Nestorian Temple in the West are located on a hill in the northern suburbs of Gaochang District, Turpan City, at the southern foot of the Flame Mountain. The ruins cover an area of about 2,000 square meters. In 2014, it was listed as an autonomous region-level cultural relic protection unit. From 2021 to 2023, Sun Yat-sen University, Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and Turpan Institute of Studies jointly conducted archaeological excavations at the site.
When archaeologists excavated the top of the main part of the site, they discovered the ruins of a Nestorian temple with a relatively complete structure and good preservation. It has been rebuilt, added, and repaired many times during its long-term use. The main period of use was in Gaochang. Uighur period. In addition to Nestorian ritual buildings, it also contains living facilities such as kitchens, wine cellars, and bedrooms.
Panoramic view of the site before excavation.
The temple consists of three east-west buildings and auxiliary buildings running side by side from north to south. The structure has the characteristics of Nestorian temples in Central Asia and other places, and also adopts local construction techniques in Turpan. This reflects from one aspect the phenomenon of Nestorianism integrating with local culture after being introduced to Turpan. As of 2023, more than 2,000 important cultural relics such as Chinese and other document fragments, mural fragments, and pottery, wood, copper, iron, and fabrics have been unearthed at the site.
Tang Dynasty style murals unearthed from the site.
Through systematic archaeological excavation, it was determined that the “Nestorian temple site of the Tang and Song Dynasties west of Turpan” is the Nestorian site with a longer time span, clear form and function, the largest scale, and the richest unearthed cultural relics discovered in China. It was in the early part of the world. It occupies an extremely important position in Nestorian ruins. It is an example of cultural exchanges and mutual learning between the East and the West. It is also the crystallization of the exchanges and integration of various ethnic groups. It is also a vivid teaching material for the Sinicization of religion, which profoundly reflects the unique openness and inclusiveness of Chinese culture.
“As a rare early Nestorian site in my country and even the world, the systematic excavation of the Nestorian temple site in Xipan is of great significance to the study of the multi-religious and cultural exchanges in the ancient Western Regions, the history of Nestorianism, and the language of the Western Regions.” Sociology and Anthropology of Sun Yat-sen University Liu Wensuo, a professor at the college, said.
A cloth-wrapped document album unearthed from the site.
The ruins of Mor Temple are located about 4 kilometers northeast of Mor Village in Boshikeram Township, Kashgar City, Kashgar Prefecture. In 2001, it was listed as the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units. Since 2019, Minzu University of China and the Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology have cooperated in conducting active archaeological excavations at the site.
As of 2022, the excavation area of the Mor Temple site is 3,300 square meters. Archaeologists not only discovered a densely distributed group of large-scale Buddhist buildings in the site, but also unearthed more than 10,000 pieces of pottery, copper, iron, wood and plaster Buddha statues. blocks and other precious cultural relics.
Archaeological excavations have preliminarily clarified the shape, function, age and reasons for abandonment of various buildings at the Moor Temple site, and gradually clarified the historical process of the development and evolution of the Moor Temple site. “Kashgar, where the Moor Temple ruins are located, is one of the earliest areas where Buddhism was introduced into my country and one of the centers of Buddhism in the ancient Western Regions. The Moir Temple ruins are the largest independent Buddhist temple ruins currently seen in the Kashgar Oasis. Therefore, it plays an important role in Buddhism. The significance in the history of communication is self-evident – the development and evolution of Buddhist temple architecture and Buddhist art in my country, and the governance and religious management of the Western Regions by the Han and Tang dynasties can all be traced back to here.” Archaeological excavation team leader of the Mor Temple site, Central Committee Xiao Xiaoyong, a professor at National University for Nationalities, introduced.
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What is the difference between “New Archaeological Discoveries in China” and “Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in the Country”
“Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archaeological Forum·New Archaeological Discoveries in China” is a selection event founded by the Institute of Archeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 2002. Six projects are selected every year, known as the “Six Major New Archaeological Discoveries”, and have become a One of the most important awards in the world. The “Archaeology Forum of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences” is an exchange platform for China’s latest archaeological information, a display stage for major archaeological discoveries, and an academic platform for new archaeological progress. It aims to promote academic exchanges and promote the prosperity and development of China’s archaeological undertakings.
“The Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in the Country” is an annual selection activity commissioned by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China and held annually by the China Cultural Relics Newspaper and the Chinese Archaeological Society. It started in 1990 and selects the major archaeological discoveries of the year across China. The selection criteria require Comply with the approval procedures of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and ensure the quality of the excavation. The excavation content must have historical, artistic, and scientific value and provide new content information and new understanding for the Chinese archaeological discipline.
In terms of the selection process, the “Six New Archaeological Discoveries” are directly selected and announced; while the “Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries” process is very complicated and requires preliminary evaluation, final evaluation, and final evaluation of the selected projects. In previous selections, Xinjiang’s Niya ruins, Xiaohe Cemetery, Kuqa Youyi Road Jin Sixteen Kingdoms Brick Chamber Tomb, Jiren Taigoukou ruins, Tongtian Cave ruins, Shichengzi ruins, Keyak Kuduk beacon fire The ruins and other sites have successively received the top ten new archaeological discoveries in the country. On January 19, the preliminary evaluation of the top ten new archaeological discoveries in the country in 2023 was launched. The ruins of Kashmore Temple in Xinjiang were included in the preliminary evaluation list of 33 items finalized by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
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2024-01-30 13:58:00
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