Research On The Bronze Ritual Vessels Of The Central Plains In The Northern Area During The Shang And Zhou Dynasties

This paper mainly studies the bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series unearthed in the northern area of Shang and Zhou Dynasties in two aspects,including utensil finishing and phenomenon research.First of all,it constructs the age framework and space system of the northern area outside the control of Central Plains,discusses about the source of bronze sacrificial vessel of the region,and further discloses the interaction between Central Plains culture and northern culture in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.Second,through the placement position of bronze brass in the grave and cellar,combination and allocation of other utensil types,it discusses about the dynamic changes of the acceptance degree of Central Plains etiquette in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.Through the research of the above two aspects,the paper draws the following conclusions:1.The place of bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series unearthed in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties in the northern area.At present,the relics of the unearthed bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series are basically concentrated in the mid section and east section area along the Great Wall and are mainly concentrated in four regions,including the north of Shaanxi and the north of Shanxi;the north of Hebei,Beijing and Tianjin;the southeast of Inner Mongolia;the south and the southwest of Liaoning.2.The shape and structure,utensil,combination,ornamentation and inscription of bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series in the northern area in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.According to the excavation data,the bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties in the area is highly similar to the utensil of the same period in Central Plains area in terms of shape and structure,utensil,combination,ornamentation and inscription.Meanwhile,the utensils unearthed in different regions are of the similar styles and characteristics similar to the Central Plains.3.Stages of bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series.According to the analysis of the utensil and ware shape evolution in the northern area in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties,this paper divides copper ware into four stages:Stage One from the latter section of the early stage of Shang Dynasty to the late Shang Dynasty,Stage Two from the end of Shang Dynasty and the early Western Zhou Dynasty,Stage Three from the late Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Spring and Autumn Period,Stage Four from the Spring and Warring States to the mid of Warring States.There are missing links among the stages.And the distribution areas are also obviously different.4.Composition of northern bronze culture in the Great Wall area in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.The graves where the bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series is unearthed are large graves.The grave owners are the tribe chiefs,their spouses and other lofty noblemen.These grave utensil combinations keep in line with the characteristics of Zhou culture that emphasizes the wine and food.Other utensils and wares buried along with them do not have the obvious combination relationships.The influence of Shang and Zhou etiquette on northern clans is limited.In the late period of the Western Zhou Dynasty,the sacrificial ware of Central Plains series appeared in the northern area,with the characteristics of the bronze cultural factor in the northern area.5.Difference between the bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series in the northern area and that in the Central Plains area in terms of the source,casting place and its function as ware in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.Most of the bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties unearthed in the northern area came from the gift of the Central Plains dynasties or vassal states.In the Yin and Shang period,bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series in the northern area was consistent with the same type of ware unearthed in the Yin Xu area.After the Eastern Zhou Dynasty,the bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series unearthed in the northern area was obviously influenced by the bronze cultural factor in the neighboring area.The inscriptions on some wares indicate that they are the wares of the upper-level noblemen in the Central Plains series,who came there out of the war,diplomacy and marriage.6.The ware system in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties in the northern area.The ware system of the bronze sacrificial ware of Central Plains series in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties in the northern area is influenced by the etiquette culture of Central Plains area in different periods.The ware combination in the Yin and Shang period is mainly drinking vessel;that in the Eastern and Western Zhou period is mainly cooking vessel and food vessel.In the overall Shang and Zhou Dynasties,the northern area did not carry out the strict vessel display system.In addition,in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties,the copper ware cellar used to sacrifice for the mountain and river appeared in the Kazuo area.7.The exchange and interaction between Central Plains area and the northern nations from the perspective of etiquette system.The influence of etiquette system on the northern area in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties is basically limited and unidirectional.On the one hand,other wares in the burial object are not influenced by the vessel display system and show the specific shape and structure,and combination.On the other hand,the new wares produced in the northern area are also seldom seen in the sacrificial vessel combinations in the Central Plains area.