Archaeological Findings And New Evidence Of Musical Instruments And Weapons In Chuci

The study of famous objects is an important field in the study of Chuci,,and scholars of various dynasties have done in-depth research on the famous objects of the Ci of Chu.With the continuous discovery of Chu tombs and the increasing abundance of unearthed musical instruments and weapons,it is possible to research musical instruments and weapons in the Chuci,and restore the use scenarios of some of them.Sorting out relevant literature records and previous viewpoints,comparing them with the unearthed artifacts,and summarizing the evolution of their shapes and structures,clarifying the shape and structure characteristics of musical instruments and weapons in the Chuci,can deepen the understanding of the Chu culture’s emphasis on music,martial arts,and integration and innovation.The musical instruments in the Chuci include se(瑟),yu(竽),sheng(笙),paixiao(排箫),bell and drum.From the perspective of unearthed objects,during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period,the musical instruments in Chu were diverse in shape and highly characteristic of Chu culture.First of all,ancient scholars put forward different views on the number of se(瑟)strings in the Chuci,such as 15 strings,25 strings,and 35 strings.According to archaeological discoveries in Chu,there are five types of strings in the number of strings in the Chuci:26 strings,25 strings,24 strings,23 strings,and 19 strings,not the 35 strings previously described;Yu(竽)often appears with Se in the Chuci.Yu(竽)died out early,and now we refer to the many"sheng"(笙)springs as the"yu"(竽)in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.Many ancient scholars believed that Yu(竽)was a 36 reed instrument,while the Sheng instruments unearthed from Chu tombs had 20,18,16,14,and 12 reed instruments,which were different from those recorded in literature;The wind of advocating bells in the State of Chu is strong,and bells appear many times in the Chu.A large number of bronze musical bells were unearthed from Chu tombs.The bronze musical bells in Chu are represented by chimes,Yongzhong(甬钟),and Bo(镈).These three types of musical bells have their own characteristics in arrangement and form,which adapt to the performance style of Chu music;Chuci refers to the paixiao(排箫)as"uneven",which vividly illustrates its shape.There are different views on the number of tubes in the literature,such as 10 tubes,22 tubes,16 tubes,23 tubes,and 24 tubes.According to the situation of the flute unearthed from Chu tombs,the number of flute pipes in Chu was fixed at 13,and the material was gradually fixed to bamboo;"The Nine Songs of Chu"records many sacrificial activities in the State of Chu,in which drums perform the function of solo or ensemble.According to the situation of drums unearthed from Chu tombs,there are ten types of Chu drums,including deer drums,tiger seat phoenix drums,jian drums(建鼓),and handle drums,which fully display the functional characteristics of drums,and their shapes also reflect the beliefs of the Chu people.The famous weapons in the Chuci mainly include ge(戈),swords,bows,and arrows.Most ancient weapons evolved from hunting tools.By the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods,weapons extended the meaning of ritual weapons,and the progress of manufacturing technology also promoted the development of new changes in the shape of weapons."Nine Songs:National War"describes the war scenes of the generals and soldiers of the State of Chu fighting for their country.From the situation of the emergence of Tuge in Chu,the head and support of the Tuge in Chu are relatively curved,the tin content of the blade is increased,and the lethality is increased;Sword has appeared many times in the Chuci and is described as a"long sword".According to the situation of bronze swords unearthed from Chu tombs,the bronze swords in Chu were mainly round headed long swords;In addition to Ge and Jian(剑),bows have appeared many times in Chuci,such as"Qin Gong"(秦弓)and"Arc",which refer to bows.The ancient literature has divided the bow into three systems:upper,middle,and lower.According to the literature,ancient scholars also proposed the view that the"arc"is a wooden bow.Compared with the situation of bows unearthed from Chu tombs,Chu bows can indeed be divided into three systems according to their size,with two materials:wooden and bamboo bows,confirming the correctness of the view that"arc"is a wooden bow;As a weapon used in conjunction with a bow,the arrow often appears together with the bow in the"Songs of Chu".In the literature,the vector is divided into"eight vectors"according to its size and shape characteristics.According to archaeological discoveries in the Chu region,during this period,the main types of arrows in the Chu region were bronze triangular arrowheads,as well as double winged arrowheads,flat headed arrowheads,and diamond shaped arrowheads.There were four types of arrows with different shapes,and there were many innovative casting methods.Since the Western Zhou Dynasty,the influence of etiquette and music civilization has gradually matured.On the basis of Chu music,Chu people have created instruments suitable for their performance characteristics,reflecting the concern about the rites and music of Chu people.At the same time,the war in this period not only promoted the evolution of weapons,but also promoted the exchange and integration between regions to a certain extent.The progress of iron smelting technology and manufacturing technology also provides an opportunity for change.The Chu people have absorbed the advanced experience of other regions,created weapons with extremely strong killing power,carried forward the martial spirit of the Chu people,and presented the characteristics of the era of integration and innovation.This is also the connotation of the Chu culture reflected in the musical instruments and weapons in the Chuci.