To talk about this issue, we must first talk about "civilization." When it comes to the origin of civilization, scholars are always keen to research and discuss the meaning of the word "civilization" at first. However, after discussion, we will find that "civilization" is an ancient and often new concept, which can be different with different times, regions or nationalities; Different people may have different understandings. At present, the popular view at home and abroad is to explore the origin of civilization with words, bronzes and cities as symbols or elements of civilization. (Although these three signs still have great limitations)

These three elements were fully possessed in China in Shang Dynasty at the latest. At that time, there was an early mature text-Oracle Bone Inscriptions; A large number of exquisite bronzes have been cast-the bronzes unearthed from Yinxu in Anyang, Henan, Sanxingdui in Guanghan, Sichuan, and Oceania Town in Xingan County, Jiangxi Province are the most representative. The Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan Province appeared. The Shang Dynasty is about 4000 to 3500 years ago, which means that China has a written history of at least 3500 years.

Before Shang Dynasty, it was about 4000 years from the late Neolithic Age to Xia Dynasty in primitive society, that is, the transition period from matriarchal clan to paternal clan. This period belongs to the pottery age. In this long historical period, although no mature characters were found, the ancestors created a splendid painted pottery culture; Many symbols with special significance were found on the unearthed pottery. It was not until the successful excavation of Erlitou site in Yanshi, Henan Province that we knew that the appearance of China city can be traced back to the late Xia Dynasty. The site also found a large palace site, a large bronze smelting and casting workshop, pottery and bone making sites, buildings related to religious sacrifices and more than 400 tombs, and unearthed a batch of bronze ritual vessels and jade articles, which proved that Erlitou was the earliest capital site in China. Although there are no complete written records and documents in this historical period, a large number of archaeological excavations can prove that China has entered the threshold of civilization since the Xia Dynasty.

A long history before the Xia Dynasty is now called "prehistoric civilization" or "the dawn of civilization" by scholars. In particular, the achievements of the "Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties Dating Project" prove to us the existence of ancient history before the writing came into being. From this point of view: the real written history of China, that is, the "history of civilization" you mentioned, should be around 3000 to 3500 years; The history of the whole Chinese nation is far more than 5000 years. Fortunately, the Chinese nation has always had a fine tradition of attaching importance to historical revision. If we start from Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty, the written classics of our country's history have been continuously passed down to this day, which makes us have classics to check and chapters to test. This is a word that other nations in the world are proud of in the history of civilization.