Zhongyuan - the heartland of China

This report briefly presents some results of a scientific trip to China (with the financial support from RHF) in order to work with museum collections. Based on these collections, the authors attempt to reveal the transitional moments in passing from the period of Late Antiquity to the beginning of Early Middle Ages. All monuments under investigation were found by Chinese archaeologists within the territory of Zhongyuan (Central Plain); an area that apart from everything else, identifies the eternal geopolitical significance of this region.