珠江是岭南地区一条最大的河流，它覆盖了云南、贵州、广西、广东四省区，其中一些支流的源头可追溯到湖南、江西、福建境内，珠江文化就是指存在于珠江流域的各种文化。本书介绍的是珠江流域史前时期的文化。

　　岭南地区一直都被视为蛮荒之地。所谓蛮荒意为与中原地区相比，岭南地区生产落后，经济不发达，民风粗野，不够开化等等。其实不然，大量的考古发现表明，早在史前时期，岭南地区已经存在丰富的文化，在人类起源、农业和家畜饲养起源、原始宗教和艺术的起源等方面都有过辉煌的成就。数十年来，考古资料日益丰富，幷且今后还会不断有更新、更重要的发现。虽然目前还不能说珠江流域史前文化的面貌、珠江流域的史前史已经完全清楚，但我们基本可以断言：岭南地区不是蛮荒之地——南蛮不蛮。正因为史前时期有过灿烂辉煌的文化，珠江流域在各个历史时期，特别是近、现代历史上，在中华民族文化的发展中都起着先锋作用，这正是文化沉淀深厚的表现。

　　
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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.