From Shandong Music Archaeological Found In Zhou Dynasty Hanging The Evolution Of The System

Yue Xuan system was an important component of Li Yue system in Zhou Dynasty. "Yue Xuan was originally referred to a kind of large-scale bian-xuan instruments belonging to Zhong Qing category which must be hung to play. " The rulers of Zhou Dynasty entrusted abstract political content to Zhong Qing bian-xuan instruments contributing to the formation of Yue Xuan system with the characteristics of Zhong Qing and strict ranking. This system made a far-reaching influence on the society and culture of China for nearly 3, 000 years.It was a meaningful subject for musical archaeologists to carry on a systematical research on Yue Xuan system in Zhou Dynasty in view of musical archaeology. As to the author' s knowledge, a few scholars, such as Li Chunyi ,Wang Shimin and YangHua had done some useful explorations, yet no comprehensive and systematical research on Yue Xuan system of Zhou Dynasty was reported. In addition, previous research on Yue Xuan system of Zhou Dynasty were mainly based on historical documents with unavoidable limitations. However, "compared with the ancient records, the objects and historical materials which musical archaeology relied on were more direct and believable. " Therefore, based on the direction of object-first academic thoughts, following the methodology of "archeological findings first and ancient documents second" ,the author chose the unearthed musical findings to be the basis of academic research.For the first time, the author made some preliminary explorations on the course of evolution of Yue Xuan system in Zhou Dynasty on the basis of the currently unearthed musical findings in Shandong area in combination with historical documents. This thesis was composed of three parts. The first part studied the formation and function of "Yin Li" and found that the so-called "Yin Li" by Confucius had been existingin YinShang Period as a Yue Xuan system. The use of instruments in YinLi was for ceremony rather than their value of musical entity . With gains and losses on the basis of YinLi, Yue Xuan system in Zhou Dynasty came into being. YueXuan system consisted of three parts: utility, display and scaling. In Zhou Dynasty this system carried on and further strengthened its function in sacrifices to ancestors and political ceremonies while putting entertainment in the second place. The second and third parts begun with burial system of Eastern Zhou, illustrated the development and recession of Yue Xuan system in Zhou Dynasty, and then discussed the relationship with politics and economy at that time. It also deal with the subject of its functional variance along with different historical periods. So the author considered that Yue Xuan system was still in development in the early stage of Spring and Autumn Period, then come to climax in the middle Period. Meanwhile, the state of so-called "Disintegrated courtesy and damaged music" came out and was eventually formed in late Spring and Autumn Period. The Yue Xuan system of Zhou Dynasty was completely collapsed in Warring States Period. The function of Yue Xuan system underwent its first change in Spring and Autumn Period, that is, from the functions of sacrificing to ancestors and holding ceremonies to the compound functions of ceremony and entertainment. Then in the Warring States Periods, the system experienced its second alteration rising entertainment to the leading position.