湖南澧县鸡叫城遗址大型木构建筑F63用材研究OACHSSCD

In 2020-2021,the large-scale timber-framed building F63 of the Qujialing culture was excavated at the Jijiaocheng site.This building is magnificent in scale,with a well preserved foundation and distinctive construction craftsmanship,and it holds significant importance in the history of Chinese architecture.A total of 109 wood samples were collected from F63 and from the surrounding relevant settlement context.Thin sections were made using freehand sectioning.Then,the microscopic structures of the samples were observed under an optical microscope.Finally,tree species were identified through comparison with relevant reference materials.The results show that the timber used for F63 was primarily derived from Machilus spp.,Phoebe spp.and Cinnamomum spp.However,the samples collected from the surrounding non-timber-framed buildings exhibited a greater diversity of wood species,which were not commonly used for structural timber components.These findings indicate that tree species appropriate for timber-framed construction were scarce in the immediate vicinity of the site,and that the timber used for building F63 was likely not sourced locally. As indicated by the results,the building materials used for F63 were relatively uniform.The selected timber had a fine and homogeneous structure,moderate mechanical strength,favorable material properties and a certain degree of corrosion resistance,reflecting the relatively high level of material selection practiced by the inhabitants of Jijiaocheng.The overall area of F63 is approximately 630 m2.According to the inferences made by relevant scholars,the main building was about 5.5 m in height,while the corridor reached approximately 4 m.The construction of a building of this scale would have required a substantial quantity of timber. The timber used for the construction of F63 might have originated from the nearby mountainous areas.According to relevant studies,the Liyang Plain is part of the Dongting Lake Plain.In prehistoric times,the area of Dongting Lake was vast and the water level of rivers was much higher than it is now.Part of F63 was built on top of moats,further indicating that a well-developed water system existed at the site during that period.The inhabitants of Jijiaocheng had already mastered comprehensive planning ability of the water system and possessed a complete irrigation system.They practiced paddy cultivation on a large scale,as evidenced by the large amount of rice chaff unearthed at the site.The area around Jijiaocheng was mainly irrigated farmland area with a managed vegetation landscape at that time,making it unlikely that extensive forest resources were available near the house sites.The terrain of Lixian County is higher in the northwest,with abundant vegetation,a well-developed water system and convenient water transportation.Therefore,it is highly likely that the timber used for F63 building was sourced from the nearby mountain forests and transported to the Jijiaocheng settlement via the Cen River and its tributaries. The construction of F63 required substantial manpower and material resources from the inhabitants of Jijiaocheng.Under the social conditions of that time,such an undertaking could not have been an individual act,but rather embodied the collective will of the entire settlement.The construction of F63 not only had the significance of residence function but also carried a higher spiritual connotation.From the acquisition,transportation and processing of raw materials to architectural design,construction and use,all of these aspects were manifestations of public power.This indicated that the settlement had a relatively large population,a well-developed social organization,and strong capacities for management and coordination.The comprehensive study of F63 provides important information for understanding settlement organization,social relationships and the level of social productivi-ty at that time.