A Study Of Late Shang Dynasty Cemetery In Southern Shanxi Province

Since ancient times,the south region of Shanxi has been a battleground for military strategists,a place where the Shang Dynasty tried its best to manage,and a hub of contact between the north and the Central Plains.In the late Shang period,the south of Shanxi was still influenced by the Shang culture,but the control scope was reduced.In this paper,the late Shang Dynasty tombs in South Shanxi are divided into three parts: Changzhi Basin,southwest of Luliang Mountain and Linfen-Yuncheng Basin,and the diachronic analysis is added to establish the space-time framework.Taking the burial as the starting point,this paper analyzes and summarizes the burial customs in the cemetary of the late Shang Dynasty in the south of Shanxi,discusses the interaction between the archaeological culture of the late Shang Dynasty in the south of Shanxi and the Yin Xu in the central area of the Shang Dynasty,so as to have a clearer understanding of the ways of the Shang Dynasty in the south of Shanxi in the late Shang Dynasty.From the perspective of burial customs,the late Shang Dynasty tombs in Changzhi Basin have great similarities with the Yin Xu,but have no unique local characteristics,which is deeply influenced by the Shang culture.The southwest of Luliang Mountain is in the middle position.The funerary objects were influenced by both the Shang culture and the northern culture,playing a role of cultural transition and blending,with distinct local characteristics.Linfen-Yuncheng Basin is the most abundant area of tombs in the south of Shanxi.The tombs in this area continued from the first phase of Yin Xu to the Western Zhou Dynasty,with Fushan Qiaobei and Wenxi Jiuwutou as the center,showing different degrees of development and change.From the perspective of diachronic change,the power pattern of the tombs in the late Shang Dynasty in the south of Shanxi can be divided into three stages: early,middle and late.In the early late Shang Dynasty,that is,the first phase of Yin Xu culture,the Shang Dynasty was still in its heyday,and the army and people of the Shang Dynasty were active in the south of Shanxi for a long time.The central area of the Shang culture had maintained a high level of cultural exchange with the southwest foot of the Luliang Mountain,and the Changzhi Basin was also under its control.The Fangguo in the Linfen-Yuncheng Basin was conquered by the powerful Shang Dynasty and accepted its rule.In the middle part of the late period,namely the second and third phases of Yin Xu culture,the power of the Shang culture was greatly reduced,and there were no relevant remains at The southwest of Luliang Mountain.Instead,military strongholds were arranged along Zhongtiao Mountain.In the late period of the Shang Dynasty,namely the fourth phase of the Yin Xu Culture,the main force of the Shang Dynasty withdrew from the western Jin region,but it still continued to send high-ranking nobles to garrison the line between Taiyue Mountain and Zhongtiaoshan Mountain as the last line of defense.From the perspective of interaction with the central areas,the relationship between southern Shanxi and the Shang Dynasty can be divided into two aspects.In terms of political security,Changzhi Basin belongs to the countryside of Wangji area,namely granaries or dians,responsible for grain production,army garrison and other matters.The southwest foot of the Luliang Mountain was the front line of the battle against the invasion from the Western hostile countries,and was dotted with military positions.The Linfen-Yuncheng Basin,on the other hand,was a barrier to the Western Turkish border,with military posts along the Zhongtiao Mountains as rear support,and was the last great line of defense for the King’s Gi region.On the other hand,in terms of economic security,various strongholds arranged in the south of Shanxi could not only provide relatively stable sources of resources for the Shang Dynasty,but also provide some rear resources for the military strongholds in this area.As one of the important military strategic areas of the Shang Dynasty,the southern region of Shanxi was an important support for the Shang Dynasty to maintain its rule.The change of the Shang Dynasty’s strength has a profound influence on the southern Jin region within its convergence range.When the Shang Dynasty’s strength declines,its control over the southern Jin region will weaken accordingly,resulting in the centrifugal force in the southern Jin region.When the Shang Dynasty is strong,it can strengthen its control and influence over the southern Jin region,making it the center of gravity of the Shang Dynasty.At the same time,it also provided strong political and military support for the Shang Dynasty,and finally enabled the Shang Dynasty to establish its dominance here.