Sarcophagus Burial Of The Upper Reaches Of Minjiang River Area

The thesis inquires into the stone-constructed graves which are mainly located in the upriver of Min river. It mainly covers three towns: Li , Mao, Wen Chuan. Most of the graves concentrate on these three towns. The stone-constructed graves in the upriver of Min River are a distinctive and wide-ranging culture. There are one hundred of such graves have been excavated.The area has the densest distribution of this remain. The stone-constructed usually contributed over the platforms on a high mountain , not far form the area where they lived or the platforms near the Min River valley and its branches .These graves date back the local late Neolithic age, and are equal to Shang or Zhou dynasty .which cover about a thousand years. The diversification of their development patterns and richness of their culture contents contribute a lot to the study of the Neolithic culture and the Bronze culture, including its origin, types, regional characteristics, and the relationship among various ethnic groups in the whole Min River valley.The thesis generalizes the characters about the stone-constructed graves, the conclusions are as follow:Firstly, according to the differences among the graves, including the type of the sarcophaguses, the excavations in the graves, we can divide them into five periods. Although there are differences, the style of the graves and the way people buried the dead are continued during every period. So perhaps we can say the owners of the graves are belonged to the same race. . There is big change of the graves in the late period , people began to use blocks to build the sarcophaguses instead of slates in the early period. The thesis supposes the change shows the graves became more mature, because they were not limited to the material.As regards the way to bury the dead, there are differences in the samecemetery, which show us people had not united idea about bury then and there, persons were allowed to use different ways.Secondly, the stone-constructed graves originate from the culture of the local Neolithic age, and also accepted some direct or indirect affection from other culture around at the same time. The race of the owner was open to other races. There are similar characters including the type of sarcophagus, and excavations, the other races are the people lived in the are of Qingyi River, Dadu River , the northeast of Yun Nan province . But the differences are chief.Thirdly, the development of the culture was lagging comparing to the culture of the contemporary dynasty. However , the technique of the handicraft slowly developed in every period, for example the technique of pot making , at the beginning, persons made pot they needed using their hands , gradually, they brought in some simple machines , which made the products look much more exquisite in the shape and texture. In the second period, bronze products appear in the area, and iron products in the third period. The products contain agriculture tools, cooling tools ornaments and so on. The change marks the development of the whole age. Fourthly, regarding to the race of the owner of the grave , there are many different ideas in the academy, about three idea , some scholar believe they were belonged to Qiang race; some believe it should be Di race ;and some think they were Shu race. The thesis think the owner of the graves belonged to Ranlongyi , not other races. Perhaps the theory is not true, in fact it is a deduction too, like the other conclusions above.