本文探討，由新石器時代晚期到漢代，遼西地區由混合農業走向遊牧業 的人類生態變遷，以及其與華夏族群邊界形成的關係。 在遼西、燕山地區，由新石器時代晚期到殷商時期，並沒有顯明的華夏與非華夏 的生態、文化或政治邊界。在夏家店下層文化中，當地人類行農業並畜豬、狗。 到了晚期，因氣候乾旱化，不利於農業發展，人類活動減少，並有武裝化傾向。 在經過商周間的調適期後，人們重新利用這地區。此時夏家店上層文化的人們仍 行農業，同時畜養更多的草食動物。這種生態通應、便每一人群所需的生態區， 都較前期農業人群所需的大了許多，如此造成人群間的衝突與進一步的武裝化。 武裝衝突造成更多的人群不願從事農業生產，而依賴畜牧、漁獵與掠奪。 北方人群的移動化、畜牧化、武裝化，反映在中國古史上的，就是戎狄華夏之分 的概念出現在南方人群中。西周因戎禍而亡之後，「華夏」這樣的自稱在中國文 獻中愈來愈普遍;華夏成為極力維護自身族群邊界，以保護共同資源的人群。華 夏愈互保以壟斷南方資源，愈逼使遼西與燕山山地的人群更依賴畜養動物，以及 進一步的武裝化、移動化，以向南方侵奪。為了對付南方華夏的凝聚、燕山以北 及遼西地區的遊牧人群，起先結成較大的政治群體，東胡。在燕國北征，以及西 方匈奴興起，兩方面的壓力下，這地區的人群全面遊牧化，並發展出分散化、平 等化的遊牧部落組織(鮮卑、烏桓)，以適應新的局面。

　　　　　This paper explores the origins of specialized nomadic pastoralism in the West Liaoriver Valley and the concomitant emergence of ethnic boundaries between the Chinese andthe "northern barbarians" in this area. Archaeological recoveries of the last few decadeshave demonstrated that from the late Neolithic to the Shang period the people of the WestLiao-river Valley were basically farmers who also raised pigs and dogs. In the last stage ofLower Hsia-chia-tien Culture, while the climate became drier and cooler, people adapted tothis new environment by reducing farming, and increasing raiding. This finally wasfollowed by period characterized by drastic reduction of human activities in this area. Afterthe period of 'interruption', this area was re-occupied by the people of Upper Hsia-chiatien Culture who, compared with the people of the Upper culture, depended less onagriculture and more on herding domesticated herbivores. This adaptive strategy causedincrasing need of wider subsistence niche for every human unit, and caused more fiercecompetition for resources, and further militarization and mobilization among the people. The more the northern people became pastoralized, militarized, and mobilized, themore they became "barbarous" in the eyes of the sedentary people in the south. It is in thiscontext that the hostile exonym Jung-Ti, as opposed to the autonym Huahsia (ancientChinese) emerged in historical records. The Huahsia now became a powerful human groupfor protecting or grabbing living resources in this area. In response to this change the peopleof the West Liao-river Valley became full nomads. Consequently, the development from thenomadic state Tunghu to the more segmentary and egalitarian Wu-huan and Hsian-pei tribalconfederacies marked the finally stage toward specialized nomadism in this area.