红山文化对蚕资源的认识和利用——以出土玉蚕为中心

红山文化出土玉蚕反映出辽西地区至少在距今5500-5000年便已经开始认识和利用桑蚕和柞蚕资源了。这不仅使得辽西所在的燕辽地区成为除黄河中游和长江下游地区之外的又一史前蚕资源利用中心,也将中国最早开始利用柞蚕的时间和地区从汉代的山东半岛,追溯到红山时期的辽西地区。同时,玉柞蚕在数量上的优势,暗示着野蚕资源仍是新石器时代居民获取蚕丝的主要来源。红山文化“以玉为蚕”和“以蚕化龙”的认识和表现手法与商周时期不谋而合,是红山文化作为中华文明直根系的生动写照。

Understanding and Utilization of Silkworm Resources in Hongshan Culture:A Case Study of Unearthed Jade Silkworm

The jade silkworm unearthed from the Hongshan culture period reflects that the resources of mulberry silkworm and tussah silkworm had been recognized and utilized in the Liaoxi area at least 5500-5000 years ago.This not only makes the Yanliao area where the Liaoxi area is located become another utilization center of prehistoric silkworm resources besides the middle reaches of the Yellow River and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.It also traces the earliest time and area of mulberry tussah utilization in China from the Shandong Peninsula in the Han Dynasty to the Liaoxi area in Hongshan period.At the same time,the advantage of jade mulberry tussah in quantity indicates that wild silkworm resources are still the main sources of silk for residents in Neolithic age.The understanding and expression of"taking jade as silkworm"and"turning silkworm into dragon"in the Hongshan culture coincide with those in Shang and Zhou Dynasties,which is a vivid portrayal of Hongshan culture as the direct root of Chinese civilization.