Shang And Zhou Bronze Tripod Study

The studies on the bronzes unearthed before the Song Dynasty has initiated nearly one thousand year ago. It remains to be an important aspect in the archaeology research. The Shang and Western Zhou Dynasties in Chinese history is the very important period on development of bronzes. During this period, the bronzes experienced the occurrence, prosperous and growing procedure. As one of the core bronze vessels, Ding container has been paid much attention. Although there’re lots of related researches, but no systematic research has been done previously.My research focuses on those excavated Ding vessels. Through consulting archaeological report, we have collected over1100ancient bronze Ding of Shang and Zhou Dynasties (until2010). Most of these objects have detailed excavation background. According to the archaeological typological classification, the bronze Ding will be analyzed.First we divided them into round type, square type and split crotch tripod type by morphological difference. Second we classified them further by tripod or other factors. On the basis of the classification, referring to the archaeological date classification and excavation group characters of Shang and Zhou period, we made chronology and classification research of these bronze Ding, indicating their existing period and summarizing their morphological characters by time.After sorting out of the reference materials of bronze Ding, we discussed the social background which led to the bronze Ding change.The systematic study indicate that the Ji Zhou people did not using lots of bronze before King Wen Age. Among the archaeological cultures which related to Ji Zhou nationality, no matter what cultures, the Nianzipo culture, Zhengjiapo culture or other archaeological culture, we haven’t found any proof that the Zhou nationality has mature bronze culture. Therefore, we conclude that in the Ji Zhou culture the bronze sacrificial vessels signaling by the bronze Ding had not been played an important role.Because the bronze Ding hadn’t played an important role in the Ji Zhou Culture, the bronze vessels could not be significant in political and cultural life of Zhou people in the early stage of Western Zhou. This is probably because that any elements of the traditional cultures like sacrifice couldn’t change in short time. In the early stage of the Western Zhou period, the bronze Ding was not such important as Shang ones in the political life and was away from the ritual life or just one emblem of the wealth. Just like this, bronze vessels in the early Western Zhou is just follow the Shang tradition and is nearly the same in the feature.Finally, through the analysis of social factors which may influence the bronze Ding shape change between the Shang and Zhou Dynasty, we subscribe our view and complete the research of Shang and Zhou Bronze Ding.By means of the morphological studies on the bronze Ding, we believe that the Shang bronze Ding is mainly used as the tool during the sacrifice ceremony. The bronze vessels of the Western Zhou have great difference with Shang bronze vessels. Because the pre-Zhou period people had no sacrifice tradition, in the early stage of Western Zhou the bronze vessels were not so important in political life. Until before and after King Mu period, the bronze vessels had just begun to take an important role in the ritual culture, and typical Zhou type bronze vessels as ritual implements had then occurred gradually.From the development and changes of ancient bronze ding, we also verified in the Western Zhou great changes have taken place from Shang ritual culture by the ruling class led by Duke Zhou. The change could be explained as following:on the one hand, the morphological change might happen later than the social change; on the other hand, the social revolution in the early Western Zhou may have experienced several generation of Zhou Kings.