“天津人文的由来”是天津博物馆的基本陈列之一，它概略地展示了天津自旧石器时代末至清朝中后期上万年的历史进程，揭示了天津从不毛之地到运河城市的曲折过程，对于因河、海交汇与毗邻首都而形成的军队屯驻、人口聚集、漕运枢纽、商品流通等影响古代天津发展的重要因素给予了突出展示。
The Origination of Tianjin Culture （天津人文的由来）
Human activities in what is now the city of Tianjin can be traced back to some 10,000 years ago. With human footprints extended from northern hilly areas to the river banks and seaside, this region underwent a metamorphosis from a bare and barren land to a city with crisscross canals blessed with the fruits of varied cultures. Convergence of rivers and the sea and its being adjacent to the capital, that gave rise to the stationing of the army, the concentration of population, the formation of a terminal for water transport of grain to the capital and thriving circulation of commodities, are the key factors in the growth of Tianjin in the past thousand years. Constant development contributed to the rise of a modern Tianjin.