【摘要】 "中国"一词的涵义主要有五种,各有其存在的基础。探讨何为"最早的中国",应具备位于黄河流域、进入早期国家、文化地位占据优势等三项基本条件。依据较为可信的文献和考古材料判断,地域意义上"最早的中国"主要是西周初期的伊洛地区,都城意义上"最早的中国"是西周王朝的都邑,族群文明意义上"最早的中国"应为春秋早中期之交的华夏诸侯分布区,国家意义上"最早的中国"是西汉帝国以后,而考古学文化意义上"最早的中国"当为陶寺文化之邦国。二里头文明应为"最早的王国",可谓当时的"中国",但不应是"最早的中国"。仰韶文化时期尚未进入文明社会和早期国家阶段,庙底沟时期形成的"文化圈"或"相互作用圈"不应被视作是"最初的中国"。更多还原

【Abstract】 There are five different connotations of China, each of which has an individual foundation. The ’Earliest China’ should be based in the Yellow River Valley, of the early state stage and cultural advantage.Based on reliable historical records and archaeological data, the Earliest China geographically referred to the Yiluo basin during the early Western Zhou period; the capital of the Earliest China was the capital of Western Zhou; the Earliest China ethnically correlated with the distribution of Huaxia during the early and middle Spring and Autumn period; the Earliest China as a state was no earlier than the Western Han Empire;the Earliest China in archaeology equaled to the state of the Taosi Culture. The Erlitou civilization was the earliest territorial state, which was China then, but not the Earliest China. The Yangshao period was not of the early state stage, and the Miaodigou Era Interaction Sphere should not be correlated with the Earliest China.更多还原