Significant integrations: archaeological insights into the early formation of the Chinese nation and civilization

Abstract As a consciously identified modern concept, the Chinese nation is rooted in a self-being multi-ethnic community that developed over millennia among the various ethnicities within China. Its formation stems from the historical integration and expansion of the Hua-Xia ethnicity within a “Pattern of Pluralistic Unity.” While the trajectory of the Hua-Xia is relatively clear from the Qin and Han dynasties onward, even before this era, diverse ethnicities and cultures within China had already undergone multiple waves of profound integration—overlapping, merging, and converging repeatedly—through prolonged interaction. This process gradually established the unique developmental path of Chinese civilisation, which transcends kinship ties and locality, coalescing around cultural identity as its core cohesive force. Drawing on archaeological discoveries and related research, this article focuses on the pivotal period from the rise of agricultural sedentism cultures around 10,000 years ago to the unification under the Qin and Han dynasties. It systematically examines six major episodes of ethnic and cultural convergence within the territory of early China, driven by the interplay of environmental, economic, and social factors. Through this analysis, the article examines the formation of the Hua-Xia ethnicity and its distinctive consciousness of subjectivity, shedding light on the early mechanisms behind the evolution of Chinese civilization.