Archaeological Data on the Origin of Tungus-Manchu
50th Annual Meeting of the PIAC, Kazan 2007
The everlasting theme having no final decision is the problem of the origin of the Tungus-Manchu community and the time of its emerging as an independent language branch in the Altaic linguistic family. Almost every generation of scholars tries to solve it making their own contribution to this field of knowledge. The analysis of positive and negative results of forerunners has convinced the author of the necessity of the usage of retrospective method. There is quite enough material for constructing evolution typology of material culture of Tungus-Manchu and through it to make the reconstruction of the historical way from Medieval times to Antiquity going back to the initial pro-mother land of the Tungus-Manchu and the time of their parting from the nucleus.
According to written sources, the tribes of Mokhe, Pohai and Jurchen are related to proto Tungus Manchu. In archaeology they represent the united Mokhe community consisting of Mokhe, Pohai, Jurchen (Amur and Primorye) cultures, Tungjen and Sanhao. All of them are united with the aboriginal cultural layer represented with modelled containers of Mokhe type. The geography of Mokhe community is Russian Priamurye and Primorye, North-East China. The formation of Mokhe community took place in 3 – 13 cc. Radio-carbon data are the material evidence of it.
Typological and technical-technological analysis of modelled Mokhe containers gives the possibility to conclude that during one thousand years typical Mokhe vessels experienced evolution in form: vases (35 cc.) — pots (8–9–10 cc.) — jars (pots) (10–13 cc.). The prototype of Mokhe vessels has not been discovered on the territory of forming Mokhe community — Primorye, Priamurye, North East of China yet. The sources of Mokhe type of ceramics are restricted to the territory in Inner Mongolia and Western Manchuria on the monuments of early Syanbi. These monuments date back to 3 с. B.C. — 3 c. A.D. Prototypes of Mokhe vessels were earthenware on pallet with a modelled roller under a tip. Such a type of earthen boilers is a source for modelled ware of Burkhotui culture of Transbaikalye too. The Burhotui culture is identified with Mediaeval Mongols by researchers.
The division of earthenware pot of early Syanbi into two independent types — Mokhe (Tungus-Manchus) and burkhotuiski (Mongolian) is the evidence of the division of one Altaic linguistic family into two branches in 3 с. B.C. — 3 c. A.D. And these two branches developed independently, the fact is confirmed by the typology of ceramics.
In that way there is quite enough up-to-date archeological material to suppose that the pro-mother land of Tungus-Manchu was the territory of Inner Mongolia and Western Manchuria. In 3 c. B.C. the disintegration of the Altaic linguistic family started and it was the time the two branches — Mokhe community (Tungus-Manchus linguistic branch) and burkhotuiski (Mongolian linguistic branch) emerged. Their sources were early Syanbi. The process of formation and development of Tungus- Manchu community on the Russian territory took one thousand years from 3 — 3 cc.