本书是作者负责完成的国家文物局文物保护科学与技术硏究课题（编号：2003024）《先秦时期南海渔业文化硏究》的主要结题成果之一。在本书付梓之时，首先要感谢著名考古学家北京大学博士生导师李伯谦敎授对本硏究的关注和支持，感谢李伯谦敎授在百忙之中审阅本书稿并赐序言；感谢国家文物局将本课题列入全国文物保护科学与技术硏究课题，感谢你们通过国家文物局网站，对《先秦时期南海渔业文化硏究》课题的硏究成果进行系统介绍；感谢国家文物局专家组的专家们对本课题硏究重要性、必要性和课题成果的鉴定认可，使这一硏究项目顺利通过国家验收；感谢广东省文化厅、吉林大学珠海学院、珠海市文化广电新闻出版局、珠海市社会科学界联合会、珠海市博物馆的支持。吉林大学珠海学院外语系讲师肖婧女士参与了本课题硏究与资料收集工作，还负责了本书有关英文内容的撰写；珠海市技术监督局高级工程师刘竞波先生、原珠海市博物馆周凤珍女士参与了相关的硏究与资料收集工作；珠海市博物馆唐越先生对部分英文作了校勘；杨长征先生为本书作文字校对，在此表示感谢。同时还要感谢长期从事南海北岸文物考古与历史硏究的前辈学者、当代同仁，没有你们的硏究基础与大力支持，本硏究难以完成。还有许多为本书做出贡献的朋友，在此一并致谢。

　　南海北岸史前渔业文化硏究十分重要，因为其揭示的文化内涵，不同于我们常见的农业文化、畜牧文化，是一种新的，前人很少关注的文化形态。瞭解这一地区、这一时期、这一群体的人们，在这一特殊的自然环境中的生存方式，瞭解他们的生产、生活及其精神世界和这一文化在中华文化形成与发展中的地位、作用，是十分必要的。几千年前，在南海北岸及近岸岛屿上，生活着一批批，一群群以打鱼为生的史前先民。在沙丘上，贝丘里，坡地上，洞穴中甚至在岩石上都留下了先民活动的痕迹、居住的遗迹和动人的故事。大海是他们的依托，海湾和河旁是他们主要的生产、生活场所，海洋中的鱼类、贝类、藻类生物为他们提供了丰富的食物，还有联通着大海的江河，也是他们的天然粮仓，居住地附近的田野和森林中的动物、植物为他们提供营养的补充。他们是上天的恩赐，是大海哺育的孩子，拥有着浩瀚的南海与无限的生机，他们是勇敢的、充满智慧的、具有强大创造力的先民，他们的文化具有明显的特点，他们的文化因子已经融入到中华文化的血液之中。几千年时光流逝，暗淡了人们曾经深刻的记忆；多少回潮起潮落，磨灭了昨日生活的灿烂。只要拨开历史的尘雾，人们总能想起过去动人的故事。而担当这一重任者，首先是这一地区的考古工作的从业人员。我们没有理由不对这一文化现象进行整理、硏究与揭示：抓拍天空中划过的一道彩光，恢复历史、留住历史、丰富历史，使眞实存在过的几千年的历史鲜活起来，让历史给我们启迪，给我们力量。这是我们的期待，我们的任务和前行的目标。

　　我们也不得不承认，在这一课题的硏究过程中我们遇到了相当的困难。课题本身的难度，加上硏究经费与硏究时间的短缺，使硏究工作显得异常艰难。然而，我们有良好的心态，有执着的追求，有来自朋友的理解与支持，我们尝试着，努力着，推进着，渔业文化的硏究正在向前发展。

　　事实上，本课题硏究正式开始的时间要到2004年底，此前，我们一直都在忙着全国文物、博物馆系统人文社会科学重点硏究课题《中国南海沙丘遗址文化与生态硏究》的结题和出版工作。2004年9月，作为这一课题的主要结题成果，学术专著《先秦时期的南海岛民》由文物出版社正式出版，得到了国家文物局专家组的好评。2006年，国家文物局正式下文通过这一课题的结项验收。至此，我们才可能将主要精力投入到本课题硏究中来。

　　沙丘先民的文化是先秦南海渔业文化的重要组成部分，沙丘遗址硏究的进展，为渔业文化硏究奠定了一定的基础。本课题硏究需要反映沙丘遗址的硏究成果，又不能过多地重复沙丘遗址的硏究内容。因此，要进一步瞭解南海渔业文化，请结合阅读《先秦时期的南海岛民》一书。

　　通过本课题硏究，我们对南海北岸的生态环境、早期人类的考古文化、南海的渔猎工具、水上工具、先民的捕鱼方法等作了系统的梳理；对渔业经济条件下的精神生活及渔业文化的特点、交流和影响作了有益的探索，使我们对史前时期南海渔业文化有了一个较系统的初步认识。当然这还只是阶段性的成果，南海渔业文化的丰富内涵，値得我们用更长的时间花更多的精力去硏究与探索。

肖一亭
二00八年十二月于珠海

　　Researches on the prehistoric fishery culture on the north coast of South China Sea are significant; as the uncovered culture connotation is quite different from the culture of agriculture or livestock husbandry in the central and north China. This is a new culture morphology which receives little attention. It is all essential for us to understand the early inhabitants in this area in prehistoric age, their way of existence, production and spiritual world in the special natural envirnoment and the role which the culture had played in the formation and development of Chinese culture. Thousands of years ago, groups of early inhabitants lived by fishing had settled on the north coast of South China Sea; the traces of their activities, the ruins of their living and touching life stories had remained on sand dunes, shell mounds, slopes, even on rocks and in caves. The Sea was the place that they relied on while the bays and river banks were important places for their major living and production activities. Fi
　　shes, molluscas and algas from the ocean had provided them with abundant foods; the animals and plants in the nearby fields and forests also supplemented their nutrition. That is why we say, the early inhabitants were the gifts of God and the children of the Sea who owned the vast ocean and infinite vitality. These people were bold, full of wisdom and creativity. The culture they created had distinctive characterisitcs and had merged into Chinese civilization. However, as thousands of years elapsed, not only the deep rooted memory had faded way, but also the splendid life of yesterday had been forgotten. But if we unveil the dust of history, we could always recall a moving historical story. The staff members of archaeological studies in this region should be the pioneers to take on the mission of arranging, studying and revealing the culture phenomena, so as to restore, to retain, to revitalize and enrich the history. 

　　Admittedly, we have encountered many difficulties on the process of the research. The lack of funds and time, as well as the difficulty of the research question itself made the work very hard to deal with. Nevertheless, with a positive attitude, everlasting enthusiasm, persistent pursuit and the support and understanding from friends; we are moving ahead to press forward the research on the fishery culture.

　　The sand dune culture created by the early inhabitants who had lived on sand dunes is an integral part of the Pre-Qin fishery culture on South China Sea. The research on sand dune sites is a basis for the research on the fishery culture. Therefore, to further understand the fishery culture on South China Sea, you have to conbine this book with “On the Pre-Qin Islanders of South China Sea——Studies on the Coastal Sand Dune Sites”. 

　　Through research, we have systematically recognized the ecological environment, the archaeological culture, the fishing and hunting tools, the waterborne vehicles and methods of fish netting of the early inhabitants; also we have made a good exploration on the spiritual life under the fishery economy and the characteristics, exchanges and influences of the culture. All these efforts help us build more complete and better understanding of the Pre-Qin fishery culture of South China Sea. But the research result is only a phased achievement; the rich connotation of the fishery culture deserves us to devote more time and energy to research and exploration. 

                                                
Xiao Yiting
Zhuhai Museum,
December, 2008