For decades, the misunderstanding and understanding of sharp-bottomed bottles in academic circles have not been clarified; In recent years, this misunderstanding and understanding has entered middle school history textbooks and teaching activities, which urgently needs the attention of relevant departments and experts.
○ The pointed-bottom bottle is not a water-drawing device or a water-drinking device or a water-holding device, but a ritual vessel, which is mainly used for rain-praying, sacrifice, celebration and other sacrificial activities. The mystery of the pointed bottom bottle has reached the moment of "solving the mystery" and "uncovering the mystery".
Sharp-bottomed bottle refers to a kind of pottery popular in Yangshao culture in Neolithic age in China. This kind of pottery generally has a small mouth and a thin neck, a bulging shoulder, a slender body, a pointed bottom and symmetrical ears in the abdomen, which can be called a bottle with a small mouth and a pointed bottom. It was produced about 6500 years ago, and it can still be seen in the second stage culture of Miaodigou about 5000 years ago, so it lasted at least 1500 years. Its distribution ranges from Gansu and Qinghai in the west, to the hinterland of Henan in the east, to the middle reaches of Hanshui River in the northwest of Hubei in the south, and to the south-central Inner Mongolia, northwestern Shanxi and northwestern Hebei in the north. It can be found in various types of Yangshao culture and some archaeological cultures that are greatly influenced by Yangshao culture. According to the existing data and research, the pointed-bottom bottle was first seen in the semi-slope type of Yangshao culture in the Weishui River Basin, and then it was quickly accepted and transformed by the Miaodigou type with the border area of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan as the core distribution area, and it was also mainly popular in these two main types of Yangshao culture.
Yangshao culture, a sharp-bottomed bottle, has been incorporated into middle school history textbooks and entered middle school history teaching activities in recent years, but it has followed a wrong understanding and understanding of the sharp-bottomed bottle that has been popular in archaeological and academic circles for many years. Of course, related textbooks and teaching activities have also brought students wrong guidance, which urgently needs the attention of relevant departments and experts in order to adjust and correct them in time.
First, mistakes that have been popular for decades have entered middle school history textbooks.
Since the fall of 200 1, the unprecedented major reform measure in the field of basic education in new China-"National Basic Education Curriculum Reform" has been officially launched, and three different versions of the newly compiled junior high school history textbook (published by People's Education Press, Beijing Normal University Press and East China Normal University Press, referred to as People's Education Edition, Beijing Normal University Edition and East China Normal University Edition) have been officially used in relevant middle schools across the country. Among them, the history textbooks published by Beijing Normal University and East China Normal University (the first volume) or teachers' teaching books all involve the contents of Yangshao culture. Students are required to carefully observe and think about the beauty of the half-slope-type pointed bottom bottle as the background material, so as to design a water bottle that is labor-saving and convenient.
The first volume of the seventh grade of compulsory education curriculum standard experimental textbook history compiled by the national basic education history curriculum standard development group has designed a "learning and inquiry class" after each learning unit, and there are four such "learning and inquiry classes" in the book. The teaching theme of the first unit is "the origin of Chinese civilization", and the related study and inquiry class is "solving the mystery of painted pottery" At the beginning of this lesson, it appeared in the form of questions, and three related questions were raised: "Have you noticed the painted pottery pictures in the text you have learned? Do you want to know the miracle of painted pottery? What kind of production and social activities do painted pottery paintings reflect? " In this paper, four pictures of Neolithic pottery are given, namely, a humanoid pottery pot unearthed in Huangling, Shaanxi Province, a bottle with a small mouth and a pointed bottom unearthed in Beishouling, Baoji, Shaanxi Province, a painted pottery basin with the pattern of Majiayao culture and dance unearthed in Datong, Qinghai Province and a painted pottery basin with the pattern of fish face unearthed in Banpo, Shaanxi Province. Students are required to "imagine and describe the use of painted pottery by observing the shape and pattern of painted pottery, so as to imagine and describe the life scenes of ancestors and cultivate meticulous observation and rich imagination". As for the bottle with a sharp bottom, the tip of the textbook is: "Observe the bottle with a small mouth and a sharp bottom. Think about it: why is this pumping bottle made like this? What wonderful phenomenon will happen if this bottle is used to draw water from the river? Why? " (book 19 pages). The "activity goal" of this lesson is: 1, and intuitively feel the history through the painted pottery pictures of Neolithic age; 2. In the process of exploring the mystery of painted pottery, stimulate the interest in learning history; 3. Learn and use observation methods to improve observation ability.
The following information can also be obtained by logging into the New Century Curriculum Network of the Basic Education Curriculum Research Center of Beijing Normal University of the Ministry of Education: The textbook History published by Beijing Normal University on April 28, 2006, 200 1 was rated as the first-class textbook for the first time, and many of its contents were unanimously praised by the leaders of the State Education Commission, which attracted great attention from the academic, educational and social circles, and was also the most widely used textbook of its kind. You can find many teaching plans, teaching discussion articles or experiences about "solving the mystery of painted pottery" or pointed bottom bottles on the Internet. As for the pointed-bottom bottle, the teacher focuses on guiding students to pay attention to and understand its special function of drawing water, and the "wonderful phenomenon" that will appear when drawing water (that is, the pointed-bottom bottle will automatically dump when entering the water, and the pottery bottle will automatically straighten when it is full, and the pottery bottle will be lifted by the rope tied to the ear of the pottery bottle to complete the task of drawing water).
The newly compiled history textbook of People's Education Edition does not involve the pointed bottom bottle and the corresponding teaching activities, but it also has related contents on the website of People's Education Edition. In the part of "History and Society of Subject Education", there is a physical picture of a half-sloping pointed bottom bottle, which shows that it is a tool for drawing water. The text is as follows: "The height is 46.2 cm, which is tied at the hoop ears on both sides of its abdomen. When drawing water, put the bottle in the water with a hand rope. Because the belly of the bottle is empty and the center of gravity is in the middle and upper part of the bottle, the bottle is upside down in the water. After filling with water, the center of gravity moves to the middle and lower part of the bottle, the mouth of the bottle. On the "Cultural Relics of China and China" section, there is a physical picture of Majiayao culture, with the caption: "This pointed bottom bottle is used for pumping water, which is practical and beautiful. "Second, the scientific and archaeological circles have a wrong understanding of the pointed bottom bottle. On the homepage of "Science Communication and History of Science" on the website of China Academy of Sciences, there is a special article "The Germination of Natural Science Knowledge in the History of Science in China", which regards the sharp-bottomed bottle of Yangshao culture as "the germination of physical knowledge". The article writes: "The small-mouthed sharp-bottomed bottle unearthed from Yangshao cultural site is a container specially used for holding water, which conforms to the principle of balance of force". The website of China Science Expo, the world's largest and most authoritative Chinese popular science website sponsored by relevant institutions and departments of China Academy of Sciences, advertised that "this website only publicizes scientific truth, breaks superstition and opposes pseudoscience" and "every museum or topic is written by senior experts in this field to ensure the authority of knowledge". The website of "Light of Science and Technology, China Ancient Science and Technology Museum, Machinery" introduces the pointed bottom bottle as follows: "The center of gravity of objects and its application were known in China about 6,000 years ago in the Neolithic Age. The pottery jar for holding water unearthed from Anbanpo site in Xi 'an is made of red pottery, with a small straight mouth, a narrow neck, a long round abdomen, a pointed bottom and a symmetrical shoulder or abdomen, and is used for threading ropes. There are many strings on the watch. Good sintering degree and solid texture. When fetching water, the bottle mouth will naturally downward due to gravity. When the water is almost full, the bottle body will automatically turn upside down. This is one of the most representative artifacts of the Banpo culture in Yangshao ... "When introducing the Banpo Museum on the website of the Online Cooperative Research Center of the Ministry of Nuclear Science and Technology, the author said:" There is a kind of water-drawing device called a pointed bottom bottle, which looks like a shuttle, with a small mouth and a big belly, a pointed bottom, ears in the abdomen and oblique chords under the neck. When drawing water, the cylindrical bottle mouth will automatically sink. When it is filled with water, use a rope to lift the pointed bottom bottle out of the water, so that it will not leak. This shows that through long-term practice, the ancestors have discovered the central principle and applied it to daily life. "China Youth Computer Information Service Network introduces the pointed bottom bottle as follows:" It is a kind of water pump that skillfully uses the principle of center of gravity. The specific method is to tie a rope to each ear. Because of the buoyancy of water, the bottle will automatically fall off as soon as it touches the water surface, and then it will naturally stand up because of the shift of the center of gravity when it is filled with water. There are two characteristics of using it to hold water. One is easy to carry and shoulder, and the other is small, so it is not easy to overflow on the way from the river to the residential area after the water is filled. "China Ceramic Information Resources Network also said that the pointed bottom bottle is a kind of water pump." When drawing water, the bottle mouth will naturally go down, and when the water is almost full, the bottle body will automatically turn over and the bottle mouth will go up. "As for the same or similar introduction and explanation of various popular science books over the years, I won't go into details here. Not only educational circles, scientific and technological circles and popular science books have a good understanding, understanding and introduction of Yangshao culture, but also the description, understanding and understanding of Yangshao culture in the field of cultural relics and archaeology for decades. China Cultural Relics Newspaper 1999 made a special edition of "Talking about the ancient scientific and technological cultural relics in China", in which the "gravity machine" was used to introduce Yangshao culture in the headline article. The article said: "This is a tool for drawing water. When the bottle ear is tied, the center of gravity of the empty bottle changes when it enters the water, and the bottle mouth naturally leans to one side. When the water flows into the bottle to a certain amount, it will stand up automatically. The water collector loosened the rope and the pointed bottom bottle was not in the water. You can get a full bottle of water after taking it out. The pointed-bottom bottle comprehensively utilizes gravity and center of gravity, which embodies the principle of balance "(Bow and arrow and pointed-bottom bottle-elastic and gravity machinery by Wang Guanzhuo and Ji Yumian, 3rd edition of China Cultural Relics, June 1999+08). The Banpo type of Yangshao culture was named after the excavation of Xi 'an Banpo site which began in 1953. /kloc-after excavation in 0/957, Banpo Ruins Museum, the first ruins museum in China, was established. When visitors enter the museum, they will find a swimming pool in the center of the courtyard. On the hill in the pool, there is an image of a girl who draws water: wearing a pottery ring on her wrist and a linen skirt, squatting by the pool with a half-slope-shaped pointed bottom bottle in her hand, gesturing to draw water. The striking image of a young girl in Banpo Museum still conveys the message to the audience that the pointed bottom bottle is a device for drawing water. In the book Yangshao Culture published in recent years, Mr. Gong, a famous archaeologist who studies Yangshao culture, not only regards the sharp-bottomed bottle as a container for holding water, but also introduces it as "the scientific and technological knowledge and culture and art of Yangshao cultural residents", saying that "the pumping of water from the sharp-bottomed bottle is the embodiment of mastering the principle of center of gravity". Another famous archaeologist, Mr. Wang, also uses the sharp-bottomed binaural bottle (Gong Culture) as a schematic diagram, and thinks that the sharp-bottomed bottle is a kind of water pump and water container. He said: "The significance of a pointed bottom bottle is probably not that it is a container for holding water, that it shows special mechanical characteristics when pumping water, but that its small mouth can prevent water from evaporating or overflowing. This is a unique water container in arid and water-scarce areas, and its distribution range can best explain the problem. The origin of the pointed bottom bottle is not clear. Although we can see the small mouth bottle in the zero-mouth culture, it is still inconclusive whether it can evolve into the later pointed bottom bottle. " It is believed that "the tradition of Banpo people obviously comes from the arid loess plateau, which makes people suspect that it may grow in Gansu and Qinghai, and it seems that the real source of Yangshao culture should be found in the west of Guanzhong" (Wang's Study on the Origin of Yangshao Culture and Archaeology). Up to now, archaeologists not only generally regard Yangshao culture as a vessel for holding water, but also mix it with other water vessels for typology and genealogy research, and even discharge "non-pointed bottom" Experiments and research have proved that the pointed bottom bottle is not a pumping device. Since 1950s (it has been more than 80 years since An Tesheng discovered and studied Yangshao culture in 1960s+0920s), the sharp-bottomed bottle of Yangshao culture has been generally regarded as a pumping device in China's cultural relics, archaeology and science education circles, whether it is a special research work or a popular reading and introduction, and even has special "mechanical characteristics" and "harmony". Of course, authoritative departments, experts and scholars have always said so, and so have ordinary intellectuals and the public. Today, they have entered middle school history textbooks to educate and teach future generations. However, we don't know what kind of water-drawing device the pointed bottom bottle of Yangshao culture is, which has special "mechanical characteristics", "gravity principle" and wonderful water-drawing function. We don't know how this conclusion and understanding came from, whether it was tested by experiments, research or practical activities. On the contrary, studies and experiments that deny this conclusion and understanding have been produced as early as ten years ago, and papers have been published at least twice. In view of the popular view of Yangshao culture pointed-bottomed bottles in archaeological circles and popular science books, researchers of Banpo Museum conducted experimental archaeology on a batch of half-sloping pointed-bottomed bottles (including those unearthed from Banpo site and Jiangzhai site) in 1988, and found that "most of the half-sloping pointed-bottomed bottles fell over because their gravity center was higher than the bottle ears after being filled with water, so they could not be used for automatic water pumping" (Sun Xiao, Zhao Jiangang)/kl. At the same time, they also carried out numerical simulation and measurement on a gypsum model bottle, which verified the reliability of the method and program. The results of gypsum model bottle experiment and numerical simulation experiment are consistent, that is, "the empty state of model bottle is that the bottom is inclined upward, the bottom is downward when water is injected moderately, and the bottom is upward again when water is injected more, and the water is poured out". The research results of 7 bottles with sharp bottom and 1 model bottle show that 5 bottles are inclined when weak, full when middle, 2 bottles are inclined when weak, and full when middle, and only 1 bottle is uncovered (the position of both ears of this bottle is obviously higher than other bottles). They think: "These seven pottery bottles are representative and basically reflect the characteristics of half-slope-type pointed-bottom bottles. The numerical simulation shows that most bottles will automatically dump to a horizontal state and enter the water, but due to the nature of filling and covering, the function of automatic pumping cannot be realized ",and" the automatic dumping to a horizontal state is not caused by the shape of the sharp bottom, and the ratio of the maximum diameter to the bottle height of most bottles is basically between 2 and 2.6 (sic, it is actually the ratio of the bottle height to the maximum diameter, that is, H: D is between 2 and 2.6- Wang Xiansheng). "They said:" Banpo people live by the Zen River, and the flat riverbed probably doesn't need to use rope bottles to pump water. ""As for why it is inconvenient to place the pointed bottom with the ears down, we should make a comprehensive study in many aspects "(Wang Dajun, Tang Fu, Zhang Jing, Peking University Department of Mechanics, Sun Xiao, Zhao Jian, Banpo Museum, Xi 'an) The above research shows that most Banpo-style pointed bottom bottles can only hold about half a bottle of liquid (Xi 'an). This fact determines that the pointed bottom bottle can not be a practical water pump or water container in life. The sharp-bottomed bottle of Yangshao culture originated from the half-slope type and is also common in the half-slope type, so the nature and function of the half-slope type sharp-bottomed bottle can roughly reflect and represent the nature and function of the whole Yangshao culture sharp-bottomed bottle. Mr. Su sorted out the evolution and development order of Miaodigou-type pointed-bottom bottles, and selected four sample bottles: the ears of the first and third pointed-bottom bottles are very low, and the height of the ears is about one-third of the height of the bottles. It can be judged by visual inspection that this bottle can only hold a small amount of liquid for normal carrying; The second type of pointed-bottom bottle has no ears in its abdomen (this kind of pointed-bottom bottle without ears accounts for a large proportion in the temple-bottom groove-type pointed-bottom bottle), so it is not allowed to draw water and transport water with ropes; The fourth kind of pointed-bottom bottle is the bell mouth (this kind of bottle appeared in the late Yangshao culture, at the end of the pointed-bottom bottle culture). Only when the ears are erect can this bottle hold liquid without tipping over (New Exploration of the Origin of Chinese Civilization by Su, page 23, Figure 4, Joint Publishing Company, 1999, 1 June). The Banpo type of Yangshao culture and its influence on contemporary archaeological culture are widely popular (about 6500-6000 years ago), and its distribution range is roughly the same as that of Yangshao culture (see Han Jianye's Research on Neolithic Culture in Northern China, Cultural Relics Publishing House, 1 edition, 2003). The existence of this jar with a big mouth and a sharp bottom can also prove that the jar with a sharp bottom is "not made into a sharp bottom shape that automatically pours to a horizontal state", because the jar with a big mouth and a sharp bottom can never be a water receiver or a water carrier. The experiments and research by researchers from Banpo Museum and Peking University only denied a popular saying, that is, the pointed bottom bottle is a water intake device with wonderful water intake function. They didn't explain what kind of vessel the pointed bottom bottle was, and what was the use of making pointed bottom bottles by the ancestors of Yangshao culture five or six thousand years ago. Then, what is the cause of the sharp-bottomed bottle, what is its use and how to characterize it? The author thinks it should be a ritual vessel for four reasons: First, most pointed-bottom bottles can only hold half a bottle or a small amount of liquid for normal carrying, which proves that the design and manufacture of pointed-bottom bottles are not considered from the practical point of view of production or life, and the items (water or wine, liquid) it contains are symbolic and polite. Secondly, after being filled with liquid, the pointed-bottom bottle can't be placed on the flat ground or platform casually (because the pointed bottom will inevitably fall off), and it can only be carried with you, hung high or held in your hand (there is no special pointed-bottom bottle holder in Yangshao culture), which is not considered from the practical or practical point of view of production and life. The pointed bottom bottle can only stand upright in the air or be held in the hand all the time when in use. According to the experiments and research mentioned above, most pointed-bottom bottles are transported with the bottle mouth facing down and the bottle bottom facing up when they are empty, that is, "when the liquid in the bottle is not used (drunk) and there is still a small amount, the pointed-bottom bottles will also be in the state with the bottle mouth facing down and the bottle bottom facing up, and the remaining items will be poured out. This state requires that the user of the pointed bottom bottle must always hold the pointed bottom bottle with his hand. This mandatory requirement and design also implies the rigor and seriousness of the sharp-bottomed bottle in use, which may be related to religion and etiquette. Thirdly, the half-slope-type pointed-bottom bottle is hukou, and the Miaodigou-type pointed-bottom bottle is double-lipped, which is one of the typical types of utensils that distinguish Yangshao culture from Banpo-type and Miaodigou-type. A bottle with a pointed bottom at the spout is "adding a bottle to the bottle", that is, making the spout into the shape of a small pot, pot or bottle or cup; The double-lipped pointed bottom bottle is a "mouth-to-mouth cuff", that is, the mouth and lips are made into a small and a large style. Neither the spout nor the double-lipped spout is considered from the practical point of view of production or life, that is, it is not necessary to design the pointed-bottom bottle mouth into a pot shape or a double-lipped spout. This kind of unnecessary pot mouth and lip mouth coincides with the etiquette requirements of the complicated mattress festival. Fourthly, Yangshao culture, especially Miaodigou culture and Majiayao culture, has a large proportion of pointed-bottomed bottles without ears. This pointed-bottom bottle not only has no chance to draw water with a tether, but also must be held in the hand after it is filled with liquid (that is, in use). This compulsory requirement also proves that the pointed bottom bottle is not an ordinary water container, and it should be related to etiquette. The sharp-bottomed bottle of Yangshao culture is related to etiquette, which is discussed by Su, a master of archaeology in China and the founder of the type theory of archaeological school districts. He thinks that half-slope "small-mouth, pointed-bottom bottles" are not necessarily pumps. Some single characters in Oracle Bone Inscriptions are hieroglyphics of pointed-bottomed bottles. It is composed of "Zun" and "Li". It should not be water or even wine for daily drinking, but wine for etiquette and sacrifice. The pointed-bottom bottle should be a ritual vessel or a ritual vessel. As the saying goes,' No wine is no gift' ". Mr. Su believes that Banpo era is in a period of social transformation according to the existence of the phenomenon of pointed bottom bottle. "Some painted pottery should be dedicated to the clergy, and there was a division of labor between mental work and manual work" (Su's Thoughts on Rebuilding the Prehistoric History of China, ArchaeologyNo. 19 12). Some scholars believe that China's grain brewing began 8,000 years ago, and some ceramic funnels that may be used to pour wine juice into small mouths have also been found in Yangshao culture (Li's New Theory on the Origin of Grain Brewing in China, Archaeology 1993 No.6). However, according to the economic development level of Banpo, there may not be large-scale and wide-ranging wine-making and drinking activities among its residents, so it is speculated that the pointed bottom bottle should still be filled with water, and there may be a phenomenon of "replacing wine with water" in etiquette activities. According to Mr. Wang's understanding, the distribution range of sharp-bottomed bottles is generally in arid and water-deficient areas, so the existence and use of sharp-bottomed bottles are probably mainly related to the activities of praying for rain. The shape and function of the pointed-bottom bottle force the user to hold only a small amount of water, which is not only related to the primitive witchcraft activities and thinking mode (Fraser's so-called "sympathetic witchcraft"). Through the mysterious sympathetic action, a small amount of human water attracted a lot of rain in the sky, which may be consistent with the witchcraft activities carried out by Yangshao ancestors in the drought season, and also contains the idea and warning of saving and cherishing water. Of course, this does not rule out that pointed-bottom bottles may be used to hold wine, especially in various important activities, celebrations and ceremonies of tribes (or a few upper-class people use wine in these activities, while others "replace wine with water"), nor does it rule out that some pointed-bottom bottles may be used to fetch water. Because the height of the pointed bottom bottle is about 30-40 cm, it is just suitable for primitive people to hold on their chests. This way of mass activities naturally appears solemn, grand and serious. The ears of the pointed-bottom bottle may be mainly used to hang the tether on a high place when the utensils are idle (Banpo residents generally raise domestic animals such as chickens, pigs and dogs, and the pointed-bottom bottle cannot be casually placed on the ground because it has no specific base), or the tether may be slung over the shoulders and neck outside formal activities and ceremonies to reduce the load on both hands (but the pointed-bottom bottle is by no means a portable drinking device). Of course, the water in the pointed bottom bottle of "replacing wine with water" can be drunk, but it is still impossible to speculate on how to deal with the water in the rain prayer activity. Fourthly, it is suggested that although the above understanding and speculation about the nature and function of the pointed bottom bottle need not be taken as a final conclusion, there is no doubt that the pointed bottom bottle is not a water intake device, an ordinary drinking device or a water container. Because of the misunderstanding and understanding of the pointed-bottom bottle, it entered the middle school history textbook (according to the above, there are at least two of the three goals of the lesson "Unlocking the Mystery of Painted Pottery", namely "1, intuitively feeling history through Neolithic painted pottery pictures" and "3, learning and using observation methods to improve observation ability". The text starts with two of the three questions, namely "Do you want to know the wonders of painted pottery?" "What production and social activities of ancient residents are reflected in painted pottery paintings?" Therefore, it is time to face up to, examine and even correct this popular statement for decades, and it is time to "solve the mystery" and "uncover the mystery". Yangshao culture is the most important archaeological culture in China in Neolithic Age, which is the most widely distributed and has the deepest influence on surrounding areas and cultures. Only the Miaodigou type is regarded by Mr. Su as "the remains of people who constitute the core of the Chinese nation" (Selected Works of Archaeology in Su Zhu, 188, Cultural Relics Publishing House, 1984). Sharp-bottomed bottle is the most important feature and typical object of Yangshao culture, and it is regarded as an important feature of Yangshao culture like painted pottery. It is a good thing that the contents of "sharp-bottomed bottle", prehistoric archaeology and prehistoric culture enter middle school history textbooks, and may even become a general trend. Inquiry learning activities among middle school students should also be appreciated and affirmed, but as teaching materials and teaching activities, they should be as rigorous, correct, vivid and open as possible. Inquiry classes and activities, especially teachers' teaching guidance, should be based on science, rigor and seeking truth from facts as much as possible (otherwise, "inquiry" will become a success. It is not advisable to "give up eating because of choking". It is suggested that the Textbook Examination Committee of the Ministry of Education or other relevant departments organize relevant experts to consider the problem of sharp-bottomed bottles as soon as possible, and even re-select the physical samples of sharp-bottomed bottles for water injection or water injection experimental research (Yangshao culture sharp-bottomed bottles are fired at high temperature, mostly plain pottery, and I don't think that doing experiments with physical objects will cause any damage to cultural relics), so as to obtain consistent understanding and opinions and correct the improper points in the textbooks. (End)