第一章 七千年前的发明Chapter OneThe Invention from 7,000 Years Ago

中国的榫卯结构起源于新石器时代。距今7000年前，河姆渡人(生活在今天的浙江余姚地区的一个原始部落)在建造干栏式建筑时，已经使用榫卯技术。从河姆渡文化遗址出土的木构件大到柱、梁、枋、板，小至栏杆的木楞，都无一例外地采用了这种先进的密合连接方式。正因如此，榫卯被称为早于汉字历史的民族符号。

The mortise and tenon structure in China originated from the Neolithic Age. 7,000 years ago, the technology of mortise and tenon had been adopted when the people of Hemudu, who lived in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province as a primitive tribe, built stilt style houses. The wooden components unearthed from the Hemudu civilization site, such as pillars, beams, tie beams, boards, battens of railings, are all made out of the mortise and tenon structure which was more advanced than others on the compactness of connections, making it a national symbol which was earlier than the history of Chinese characters.