Quantitative Study Of Yanghai Cemetery In Xinjian

This paper takes the 519 burials excavated in 2003 at the Yanghai Cemetery as the main object of study,and explores the social structure and its position in the Subeixi culture from both synchronic and diachronic aspects by means of quantitative analysis and comparison.The whole paper is divided into five main parts as follows:Chapter one is an introduction,which mainly combs the excavations and studies of the Yanghai cemetery,and summarizes the results that have been achieved and the directions to be continued in the study of the Yanghai cemetery,as well as further explains the research ideas and purposes of this paper.Chapter two uses the method of type value and grave value to classify the rank of grave in different phases.By grouping the distribution of tomb in each phase,it is found that: there exists obvious regions based on the status or property of the tomb owner in phase I,the high-grade burials in phases II and III is clustered,and a large number of northeast-facing graves appear in phase IV,which are distinctly different from other burials but without obvious boundaries.Chapter three analyzes the value of different burial goods,so as to derive the types of sumptuary items.Based on this analysis,it seems that a clear gender and age division of labor existed in Yanghai society.In addition,the analysis of sumptuary items also reveals the existence of special groups of people such as artisans,shamans,witch doctors and nobles with more wealth in the Yanghai cemetery.Chapter four,through the methods of the Gini coefficient and ANOVA,it is concluded that the ancient Yanghai society was always in a state of extreme disparity between the rich and the poor,and the disparity tends to decrease gradually.Meanwhile,fewer and fewer people possess most of the wealth.Chapter five,by comparing the Yanghai cemetery with other cemeteries of the Subeixi culture,concludes that the shamans of the Yanghai cemetery occupied a special position in the Subeixi culture in the early period.But in the late period,they were under the rule of the Chushi aristocracy represented by the Chushi noble tombs in Gobei plateau.