Abstract Crescent-shaped objects are a special type of artifact commonly found among early Bronze Age archaeological cultures in southern Siberia and the surrounding areas. Based on typology, burial context, and accompanying assemblages, in addition to related iconographic evidence, this study shows that these crescent-shaped objects, in the form of single or double birds, were religious representations once suspended from sacred attire. Crescent-shaped objects in southern Siberia and the surrounding areas might have originated in the Baikal region during the first half of the third millennium BCE, and likely began to influence regions of northern China toward the end of the third or the beginning of the second millennium BCE.
{"title":"On crescent-shaped objects of the early Bronze Age in southern Siberia and the surrounding areas","authors":"Peng Wang","doi":"10.1515/char-2023-0011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2023-0011","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Crescent-shaped objects are a special type of artifact commonly found among early Bronze Age archaeological cultures in southern Siberia and the surrounding areas. Based on typology, burial context, and accompanying assemblages, in addition to related iconographic evidence, this study shows that these crescent-shaped objects, in the form of single or double birds, were religious representations once suspended from sacred attire. Crescent-shaped objects in southern Siberia and the surrounding areas might have originated in the Baikal region during the first half of the third millennium BCE, and likely began to influence regions of northern China toward the end of the third or the beginning of the second millennium BCE.","PeriodicalId":41590,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Archaeology","volume":"440 1","pages":"158 - 168"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139013048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The discovery of the Warring States tomb M1 at Guozishan is a groundbreaking achievement in Eastern Zhou archaeology in Jiangxi. This earthen pit tomb is ditch-bounded with two sloping ramps leading to the bottom. The wooden burial chamber comprises 25 sub-chambers, and more than 2600 pieces/sets of grave goods were unearthed, including sets of ritual vessels, musical instruments, weaponry, chariot and horse accouterments. The tomb dates back to the middle Warring States period, and inscriptions found on the “Zhiyi” and “Bu?shou” ge-dagger-axes (or ji-halberds) suggest the tomb occupant had a close relationship with the Yue royal house. This tomb reflects diverse cultural attributes, which integrated and coexisted with each other. The excavation holds significance as it offers insights into local history, political landscape, and cultural changes during the Eastern Zhou period.
{"title":"The Guozishan Warring States tomb M1 in Zhangshu, Jiangxi","authors":"","doi":"10.1515/char-2023-0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2023-0004","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The discovery of the Warring States tomb M1 at Guozishan is a groundbreaking achievement in Eastern Zhou archaeology in Jiangxi. This earthen pit tomb is ditch-bounded with two sloping ramps leading to the bottom. The wooden burial chamber comprises 25 sub-chambers, and more than 2600 pieces/sets of grave goods were unearthed, including sets of ritual vessels, musical instruments, weaponry, chariot and horse accouterments. The tomb dates back to the middle Warring States period, and inscriptions found on the “Zhiyi” and “Bu?shou” ge-dagger-axes (or ji-halberds) suggest the tomb occupant had a close relationship with the Yue royal house. This tomb reflects diverse cultural attributes, which integrated and coexisted with each other. The excavation holds significance as it offers insights into local history, political landscape, and cultural changes during the Eastern Zhou period.","PeriodicalId":41590,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Archaeology","volume":"852 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139019684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Since May 2022, six newly-discovered sacrificial pits have been excavated at the Sanxingdui site, revealing 13,000 cataloged artifacts. Over 3000 of them are intact, well-preserved artifacts made of ivory and other materials. Considering the discoveries from these six pits and the two previously excavated pits, we propose that pits K5 and K6 were used as sacrificial pits for sacrificial activities, while the other pits served as burial pits for ritual objects. The excavations detailed in this article hold great significance for understanding the sacrificial activities, the sacrificial systems of the ancient Shu state, and the shifting settlement patterns at the Sanxingdui site.
{"title":"The sacrificial area at the Sanxingdui site in Guanghan, Sichuan","authors":"","doi":"10.1515/char-2023-0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2023-0003","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Since May 2022, six newly-discovered sacrificial pits have been excavated at the Sanxingdui site, revealing 13,000 cataloged artifacts. Over 3000 of them are intact, well-preserved artifacts made of ivory and other materials. Considering the discoveries from these six pits and the two previously excavated pits, we propose that pits K5 and K6 were used as sacrificial pits for sacrificial activities, while the other pits served as burial pits for ritual objects. The excavations detailed in this article hold great significance for understanding the sacrificial activities, the sacrificial systems of the ancient Shu state, and the shifting settlement patterns at the Sanxingdui site.","PeriodicalId":41590,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Archaeology","volume":"429 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139013125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, in conjunction with the Nanyang Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, carried out excavations across an area of 2400m2 at the Huangshan site in Nanyang City from May 2018 to January 2022. The site spans various cultural periods, ranging from the Yangshao and Qujialing to Shijiahe cultures. The excavation uncovered a wide variety of structures and artifacts, including one dock, one section of a canal, 48 houses and stone/jade workshops, 157 tombs, eight sacrificial pits, and more than 140 urn burials. As many as 45,000 jade/stone artifacts was also unearthed. These findings confirm that Huangshan was a core settlement bounded by waterways and specialized in large-scale production of stone/jade objects. The excavation also revealed natural transportation waterways connecting the site to the well-known jade quarry of Dushan Mountain. This significant discovery fills a gap in current understandings of Neolithic jade production sites in the Central Plains and middle Yangtze River region.
{"title":"The Huangshan Neolithic site in Nanyang, Henan","authors":"","doi":"10.1515/char-2023-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2023-0002","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, in conjunction with the Nanyang Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, carried out excavations across an area of 2400m2 at the Huangshan site in Nanyang City from May 2018 to January 2022. The site spans various cultural periods, ranging from the Yangshao and Qujialing to Shijiahe cultures. The excavation uncovered a wide variety of structures and artifacts, including one dock, one section of a canal, 48 houses and stone/jade workshops, 157 tombs, eight sacrificial pits, and more than 140 urn burials. As many as 45,000 jade/stone artifacts was also unearthed. These findings confirm that Huangshan was a core settlement bounded by waterways and specialized in large-scale production of stone/jade objects. The excavation also revealed natural transportation waterways connecting the site to the well-known jade quarry of Dushan Mountain. This significant discovery fills a gap in current understandings of Neolithic jade production sites in the Central Plains and middle Yangtze River region.","PeriodicalId":41590,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Archaeology","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138992616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The niche with the colossal statue of Vairocana Buddha in the Fengxian Temple in Longmen was carved in the second year of the Shangyuan reign period of the Tang dynasty. At the beginning of the Kaiyuan reign, additional niches were carved into the same cliff wall. Based on spatial analysis of the surviving holes for architectural structures and their relation to the niches added later, it is inferred that the architecture in front of the niche was not built after the construction of these later niches. These two construction events could have belonged to the same construction phase. The construction of the architecture in front of the Vairocana niche completely altered the outer appearance and visibility of the statues, which then resulted in the relocation of worship activities from the open area to an enclosed space created by the wooden-structured temple in front of the niche.
{"title":"Additional niches and architecture added in the Tang dynasty to the Vairocana niche in the Fengxian Temple at Longmen","authors":"Minghao Peng, Ruoshui Li","doi":"10.1515/char-2022-0015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2022-0015","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The niche with the colossal statue of Vairocana Buddha in the Fengxian Temple in Longmen was carved in the second year of the Shangyuan reign period of the Tang dynasty. At the beginning of the Kaiyuan reign, additional niches were carved into the same cliff wall. Based on spatial analysis of the surviving holes for architectural structures and their relation to the niches added later, it is inferred that the architecture in front of the niche was not built after the construction of these later niches. These two construction events could have belonged to the same construction phase. The construction of the architecture in front of the Vairocana niche completely altered the outer appearance and visibility of the statues, which then resulted in the relocation of worship activities from the open area to an enclosed space created by the wooden-structured temple in front of the niche.","PeriodicalId":41590,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Archaeology","volume":"22 1","pages":"182 - 190"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48026881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and other authorities excavated the Jingtoushan site from 2019 to 2020, revealing various features such as ash pits, storage pits, red burnt soils, shell middens, and the loci of tool manufacture. Unearthed artifacts are made of pottery, stone, bone and antler, mussel, wood, and textile. In addition, a large number of faunal, floral, and minerals are also collected. The Jingtoushan site, dating between 8300 and 7800 BP, is the only prehistoric shell midden site discovered thus far in Zhejiang. It also has the oldest and deepest shell midden deposits along the coastal areas of China.
{"title":"The Excavation of a Neolithic site at Jingtoushan in Yuyao, Zhejiang","authors":"","doi":"10.1515/char-2022-0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2022-0001","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and other authorities excavated the Jingtoushan site from 2019 to 2020, revealing various features such as ash pits, storage pits, red burnt soils, shell middens, and the loci of tool manufacture. Unearthed artifacts are made of pottery, stone, bone and antler, mussel, wood, and textile. In addition, a large number of faunal, floral, and minerals are also collected. The Jingtoushan site, dating between 8300 and 7800 BP, is the only prehistoric shell midden site discovered thus far in Zhejiang. It also has the oldest and deepest shell midden deposits along the coastal areas of China.","PeriodicalId":41590,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45254553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Through consecutive fieldwork seasons from 2019 to 2020 at the Keyak Khduk Beacon site, the excavation team of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has unearthed a variety of structures such as a residential area, a berm, a wooden fence, a ramp, and several ash piles. All uncovered artifacts are of practical use for frontier soldiers, including paper and wooden-strip documents, objects made of ceramic, bronze, iron, wood, stone, bone, horn, leather, textile, and grass, and many remains of plants and animals. The excavated texts mention different levels of military units such as “Tonghai Garrison” and “Yulin Garrison” and multiple military roads such as “Loulan Route,” “Yanqi Route,” and “Mazezei Route.” The information fills the gap in the historical records about the military defense system under the Karasahr Garrison, one of the Four Garrisons of Anxi, proving the Tang’s effective administration and governance over the Western Regions. This excavation project has provided new materials for understanding Tang garrisons’ planning characteristics and construction techniques in the Western Regions. It will also greatly facilitate research progress in Dunhuangology, Turfanology, bibliography, history of calligraphic art, and other related fields.
{"title":"Tang remains from the Keyak Khduk Beacon site in Yuli County, Xinjiang","authors":"","doi":"10.1515/char-2022-0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2022-0005","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Through consecutive fieldwork seasons from 2019 to 2020 at the Keyak Khduk Beacon site, the excavation team of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has unearthed a variety of structures such as a residential area, a berm, a wooden fence, a ramp, and several ash piles. All uncovered artifacts are of practical use for frontier soldiers, including paper and wooden-strip documents, objects made of ceramic, bronze, iron, wood, stone, bone, horn, leather, textile, and grass, and many remains of plants and animals. The excavated texts mention different levels of military units such as “Tonghai Garrison” and “Yulin Garrison” and multiple military roads such as “Loulan Route,” “Yanqi Route,” and “Mazezei Route.” The information fills the gap in the historical records about the military defense system under the Karasahr Garrison, one of the Four Garrisons of Anxi, proving the Tang’s effective administration and governance over the Western Regions. This excavation project has provided new materials for understanding Tang garrisons’ planning characteristics and construction techniques in the Western Regions. It will also greatly facilitate research progress in Dunhuangology, Turfanology, bibliography, history of calligraphic art, and other related fields.","PeriodicalId":41590,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Archaeology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41679510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eighteen tombs were uncovered at the Hujiacaochang cemetery in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province in 2018. Tomb M12, a rectangular pit tomb with a wooden chamber, yielded grave goods made of a variety of materials including pottery, bronze, iron, lacquer, bamboo, and stone. Lacquered wooden artifacts, accounting for the largest number among all grave goods, including daily utensils, vanity cases, mingqi, and a game board. A large number of bamboo slips and wooden tablets were found in two bamboo hampers. These manuscripts can be classified into several categories, such as annals, calendar, summer/winter solstice, legal documents, medical and miscellaneous prescriptions, rishu-almanacs, buji-registries, and qiance-grave goods inventory. According to the typology of grave goods as well as the textual records on slips, tomb M12 is dated to the reign of Emperor Wen of the Western Han.
{"title":"The excavation of tomb M12 at Hujiacaochang cemetery in Jingzhou, Hubei","authors":"","doi":"10.1515/char-2022-0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2022-0008","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Eighteen tombs were uncovered at the Hujiacaochang cemetery in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province in 2018. Tomb M12, a rectangular pit tomb with a wooden chamber, yielded grave goods made of a variety of materials including pottery, bronze, iron, lacquer, bamboo, and stone. Lacquered wooden artifacts, accounting for the largest number among all grave goods, including daily utensils, vanity cases, mingqi, and a game board. A large number of bamboo slips and wooden tablets were found in two bamboo hampers. These manuscripts can be classified into several categories, such as annals, calendar, summer/winter solstice, legal documents, medical and miscellaneous prescriptions, rishu-almanacs, buji-registries, and qiance-grave goods inventory. According to the typology of grave goods as well as the textual records on slips, tomb M12 is dated to the reign of Emperor Wen of the Western Han.","PeriodicalId":41590,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Archaeology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46579678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The current study first systematically traces the archaeological cultures of southeast China (the Wu Yue region) during the Western Zhou, from the perspective of material culture remains, sources, regional variants, and social conditions revealed from the archaeological evidence. It then analyzes the plurality of interpretations of bronze inscriptions and the nature of documentary records concerning the emergence of the Wu and Yue states and their early history. The author points out that a regional archaeological culture with unique characteristics, showing great cultural affinity with the Wu Yue culture during the late Eastern Zhou period (771–475 BCE) had existed in southeast China during Western Zhou (1045–771 BCE). However, the emergence of Wu and Yue states and their early history recorded in historical texts have not been confirmed by any archaeological discoveries in the form of material cultures, bronze inscriptions, or documentary texts. Assertions of direct connections between related archaeological cultures and early Wu and Yue states lack persuasiveness. Considering this, the author proposes new insights into the textuality of documentary records, the relation between archaeology and historical texts, as well as the essence of historiography.
{"title":"Archaeological culture, document texts, and the construction of early Wu Yue history","authors":"Lianggao Xu","doi":"10.1515/char-2022-0013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2022-0013","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The current study first systematically traces the archaeological cultures of southeast China (the Wu Yue region) during the Western Zhou, from the perspective of material culture remains, sources, regional variants, and social conditions revealed from the archaeological evidence. It then analyzes the plurality of interpretations of bronze inscriptions and the nature of documentary records concerning the emergence of the Wu and Yue states and their early history. The author points out that a regional archaeological culture with unique characteristics, showing great cultural affinity with the Wu Yue culture during the late Eastern Zhou period (771–475 BCE) had existed in southeast China during Western Zhou (1045–771 BCE). However, the emergence of Wu and Yue states and their early history recorded in historical texts have not been confirmed by any archaeological discoveries in the form of material cultures, bronze inscriptions, or documentary texts. Assertions of direct connections between related archaeological cultures and early Wu and Yue states lack persuasiveness. Considering this, the author proposes new insights into the textuality of documentary records, the relation between archaeology and historical texts, as well as the essence of historiography.","PeriodicalId":41590,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Archaeology","volume":"22 1","pages":"162 - 170"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48507109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The first boot-shaped antler artifacts appear in the Shuangdun culture along the middle Huaihe River watershed at circa 7000 BP, before spreading out across the circum-Taihu Lake region, central Henan, and the Shandong Peninsula. Characteristic shape and use-wear marks indicate probable use as a scraping tool for leatherworking. Based on archaeological data from the Old Koryak culture in the Kamchatka Peninsula, as well as Eskimo and Native American ethnographies and contextual analysis of boot-shaped antler artifacts in burials at Sanlihe, a Dawenkou culture site, this essay argues that the boot-shaped antler artifact was likely a leatherworking tool.
{"title":"Boot-shaped antler artifacts and prehistoric leather production","authors":"Moran Li","doi":"10.1515/char-2022-0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/char-2022-0012","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The first boot-shaped antler artifacts appear in the Shuangdun culture along the middle Huaihe River watershed at circa 7000 BP, before spreading out across the circum-Taihu Lake region, central Henan, and the Shandong Peninsula. Characteristic shape and use-wear marks indicate probable use as a scraping tool for leatherworking. Based on archaeological data from the Old Koryak culture in the Kamchatka Peninsula, as well as Eskimo and Native American ethnographies and contextual analysis of boot-shaped antler artifacts in burials at Sanlihe, a Dawenkou culture site, this essay argues that the boot-shaped antler artifact was likely a leatherworking tool.","PeriodicalId":41590,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Archaeology","volume":"22 1","pages":"153 - 161"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41649772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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