珠江是嶺南地區一條最大的河流，它覆蓋了雲南、貴州、廣西、廣東四省區，其中一些支流的源頭可追溯到湖南、江西、福建境内，珠江文化就是指存在於珠江流域的各種文化。本書介紹的是珠江流域史前時期的文化。

　　嶺南地區一直都被視爲蠻荒之地。所謂蠻荒意爲與中原地區相比，嶺南地區生産落後，經濟不發達，民風粗野，不够開化等等。其實不然，大量的考古發現表明，早在史前時期，嶺南地區已經存在豐富的文化，在人類起源、農業和家畜飼養起源、原始宗教和藝術的起源等方面都有過輝煌的成就。數十年來，考古資料日益豐富，并且今後還會不斷有更新、更重要的發現。雖然目前還不能説珠江流域史前文化的面貌、珠江流域的史前史已經完全清楚，但我們基本可以斷言：嶺南地區不是蠻荒之地——南蠻不蠻。正因爲史前時期有過燦爛輝煌的文化，珠江流域在各個歷史時期，特别是近、現代歷史上，在中華民族文化的發展中都起着先鋒作用，這正是文化沉澱深厚的表現。

　　
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　　The Barbarous South is not Barbarous- Prehistoric Culture of the Pearl River Valley

　　The Pearl River, which is the biggest river in Lingnan Region, covers three provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangdong, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Origins of the river’s branches can be traced to Hunan, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces. The Pearl River Culture refers to all different cultures exist in the Pearl River Valley, while this book will focus on the prehistoric culture of the Pearl River Valley.

　　In history, the Lingnan Region had been considered as a barbarous place, for it was relatively not as developed and civilized as the central land. However, a lot of archaeological findings have proven that the Lingnan Region was rich in culture even in the prehistoric period. Outstanding achievements had been made in the origins of human being, planting and livestock raising, primitive religions and arts. Abundant archaeological evidences had been discovered in the past decades, and more new and important materials will come out in the future. Though we haven’t got every details of the prehistoric Pearl River Culture yet, we can almost assert that the Lingnan Region was not barbarous as it had been considered in the past. Thanks to the prosperous prehistoric culture, the Pearl River Valley had functioned as a pioneer in the development of national culture in history, especially the modern times, which should be a result of this profound culture.