城郊空间的构造与重塑: 楚都纪南城南郊“拔郢”事件前后的考古学考察

Research on ancient city sites in Chinese archaeology tends to focus on remains within the city walls, while paying limited attention to the city periphery as a distinct and research-worthy spatial unit. This article challenges this prevailing approach by investigating the southern suburban area of the Chu capital (i.e., the Jinancheng site) located in Jingzhou, Hubei. Of particular interest is the intricate structure of this suburban space and its complex relationship with the urban nucleus. In the aftermath of the monumental “Capture of Ying” event in 278 BCE, the southern suburbs of the Chu capital underwent a process of restructuring and became the western suburbs of the newly established Nan Commandery (i.e., the Yingcheng site) during the Qin and early Han periods. By exploring the suburban space, this study sheds light on the daily activities of diverse social groups, which have often been overlooked by previous analytical models fixated on the urban core of ancient cities. It also presents a fresh perspective that enriches our understanding of the nuanced trajectory of early urbanization in China.