The Research On The Unearthed Pottery Figurine Of Han Dynasty Tomb

The objects of this paper are the unearthed pottery figurines of the Han Dynasty tombs and the model funerary objects with figurines from the early period of Western Han Dynasty to the late period of Eastern Han Dynasty. The pottery figurines of Han Dynasty are the crucial objects of studying the social history of that period, and are also very significant for studying the artistic history of our country. Yet the present study on the pottery figurine of Han Dynasty has showed that little has been done to do the research according to the archaeological theory and method, to systemically shape the unearthed pottery figurines of the whole country, and then to discuss the development of the unearthed funerary pottery figurines of every region. Using the present archeological materials and based on the research of the previous experts and learners, this paper mainly applies such methods as typology, chronology, and folklore studies into the systematic study the pottery figurines of Han Dynasty unearthed in the main regions of our country. According to time and area, this paper will discuss the development of the funerary pottery figurines of one area during different times, and compare the relations of the unearthed pottery figurines of different areas during the same period. The focus will be on the geographic issue and the commonness. Then this paper discussed the relations of the unearthed pottery figurines of different areas during Han Dynasty. Besides, this paper also analyzes the evolution of the funerary pottery figurines and the change of the funerary customs of Han Dynasty. The whole paper can be divided into the following parts:Chapter I: Introduction. This chapter mainly contains the introduction of the topic selection, the research goal, the main idea, the summary of the existed research, the research method as well as the sources.Chapter II: The Zoning and Staging of the Pottery Figurines According to the typological theory of the cultural zone, based on the differences of the tomb forms and the funerary customs, and with reference to the unearthed condition of Han Dynasty pottery figurines, this paper divides the relatively centralized unearth area of Han Dynasty pottery figurines into 8 zones. That is, the Shaanxi and Western Henan zone with the center of Xi'an; the Henan zone with the center of Luoyang; the Southern Shandong and Northwest Hubei zone with the center of Nanyang; the Northern Jiangsu and Southern Shandong zone with the center of Xuzhou; the Shandong zone with the center of Jinan; the Southern Ling zone with the center of Guangzhou; the Sichuan and Yun Gui zone with the center of Chengdu, and Chongqing; and the Hebei zone with the center of Beijing. And then using the method of chronology and according to the period of the funerary objects and the change of their forms, this paper will divide the pottery figurines into four periods: the early Western Han period, the middle and late Western Han period, Xin Mang Period and the early Eastern Han period, and the middle and late Eastern Han period.Chapter III: The Classification of the Pottery FigurineThe unearthed pottery figurines of the Han Dynasty have different seizes, various shapes, and can show lots of subjects. For the convenience of the comparative study of the pottery figurines in different zones and periods, this paper divides the pottery figurines into 8 categories according to the forms: terracotta warriors, weapon warriors, waitress figurine, singer and dancer figurine, entertainment figurine, working figurine, warrior figurine, and model funerary objects with figurine.Chapter IV: The Zoning and Staging Research of the Pottery FigurineThrough the concrete analytic research of the pottery figurines in different zones, this paper will discuss their development and summarize the regional characteristics.1. The unearthed places of the early Western Han period are relatively centralized, and mainly in the imperial tombs of Xianyang, Xi'an of Shaanxi, Xuzhou area and Jinan area of Shandong. The pottery figurines are mainly terracotta warriors, among which the honored guards with large scale and abundant quantity are the most.2. From the middle and late period of Western Han Dynasty to early Eastern Han Dynasty, since there is no systemic unearth of the imperial and aristocratic tombs, so there is no large scale unearth of the cotta warriors. And at this period, except the Shaanxi zone with the center of Xi'an, the Henan zone with the center of Luoyang also become the important unearth zone of the pottery figurine. And the pottery figurines at this period are mainly the singer and dancer figurines which can reflect the conviviality with singing and dancing. Besides, the types of pottery figurines are increasing. With the changes of the funerary forms and customs, people value more and more the secularized tomb. Then besides the traditional waitress figurines, those which can represent the secular life gradually appear, such as the singer and dancer figurine, the farmer figurine, house-work handling figurine, warrior figurine and all kinds of model funerary objects.3. During the middle and late period of Eastern Han Dynasty, the mainstream of the pottery figurines are the model funerary objects with figurines and the working figurines, because they can reflect the secular life. The main unearth area is Sichuan zone with the center of Chengdu and Chongqing. The tomb figurines of this period also change a lot. For example, the early large-scale cotta warriors and the honor guides figurines which represent rituals are disappeared, and what appear instead are those with the vivid show of the laborers'life. The majority of the pottery figurines at this period are the farmer figurines which show such farm work as holding sprout, hoeing, holding sickle, holding container and planting; the cooker figurines which show the handling with the kitchen work; the house-work figurines which show such postures as holding broom, pulling the shoe, holding the mirror, holding the fan, and serving the food; and the mothering figurines which show the scene of carrying the child, and breast-feeding.Chapter V: The Analytic Research on the Relations of the Pottery Figurines in Different ZonesTake the eight zones as the abscissa and period as the ordinate, this paper discusses the changes of the pottery figurines along the coordinate, which can reflect the developing rule of the unearthed pottery figurines in different zones, the characteristics of the pottery figurines in each zone, and the relations of the related pottery figurines in different zones of Han Dynasty.Chapter VII: Conclusion1. To summarize, conclude, and states the general idea of the whole paper.2. To analyze the reasons of the zone differences. From the changes of the pottery figurine types in the 8 zones and the appearing period of these pottery figurines, it is obvious that the unearth condition of the pottery figurines have zone differences. And there are mainly three reasons of the differences: first, the different natural environment; second, the imbalanced development of the political and economic condition; and third, the different traditions and customs of each zone.3. To see the secularization of the funerary tradition and the custom convergence of Western and Eastern Han Dynasty. First, the changes of the unearth pottery figurine can reflect that the funerary custom of Han Dynasty experienced the change from ritualization to secularization. Then, the change of the pottery figurine can reflect that the custom of Han Dynasty experienced the change from"different customs in different zones"to"the same custom in all zones".