Emergence and Development of the Pedestal Vessels in Northeast Asia

This paper aims to discuss the introduction of the pedestal vessels to northeast China and their change and development in this region. Pedestal vessels, sometimes called dou, were used to offer, display, and distribute food and seem to have appeared for the first time in southern China during the early period of the Neolithic culture, probably around the 6th millennium B.C.E. The pedestal pottery quickly became popular in the societies of the middle and late phase of the Neolithic Age culture in this area and spread to those in the middle reaches of the Yangzi River as well. Among the Neolithic societies in north China, those in lower reaches of Yellow River began to use pedestal vessels for the first time. It is quite possible that the first pedestal bowels in the Houli culture of Shandong was influenced by the pedestal pottery culture from the south in the lower Yangzi river valley. The pedestal pottery not only continued to be used in the societies of the middle and late phase of the Neolithic culture in Shandong but also spread to those in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River. Thus, the pedestal vessels were used throughout north and south China by the middle phase of the Neolithic period. In northeast China, the pedestal vessels are found for the first time in two different areas. In the Xiaozhushan Ⅲculture of the 4th millennium B.C.E. in the southern tip of Liaodong peninsula pedestal vessels appeared along with ding and gui tripods and they are very similar to those of the contemporary Dawenkou culture in Shandong peninsula. This new change in pottery was made possible under the direct influence of the Dawenkou culture. These vessels continued to be used in the late phase of the Neolithic period in Liaodong peninsula. Another area in which pedestal vessels were used for the first time in northeast China is western Liaoning and southeastern Inner Mongolia. At the Dongshanzui religious site in Kazuo, western Liaoning, many pedestal vessels were found together with terracotta statues of pregnant woman, circular and rectangular altars, and stone building structures. It is clear that these vessels were used as ritual paraphernalia during religious activities. Pedestal vessels became more widespread in some of the Bronze Age societies in northeast China. In western Liaoning and southeastern Inner Mongolia, Pedestal bowels or dishes are found in the Lower Xiajiadian culture as well as the subsequent Weiyingzi, Upper Xiajiadian, and Shi'ertaiyingzi culture. In particular, pedestal dishes are found in relatively large numbers together with human sacrifices in ash pits of the Xiaoheishigou site of the Upper Xiajiadian culture in southeastern Inner Mongolia. It is clear that these pedestal dishes were closely related to this particular type of ritual activities, as they are hardly included as part of mortuary goods in the graves of this culture. The only exception is a bronze pot connected with six surrounding pedestal bowls that was discovered in Tomb No.8501 in Xiaoheishigou, Inner Mongolia. In the lower reaches of Liao River as well as in Liaodong peninsula, pedestal vessels were used in most Bronze Age societies in different frequencies. Again, in the middle of the 2nd millennium B.C.E. the Yueshi pottery culture of Shandong peninsula made a strong effect on the Shuangtuozi II culture of Liaodong peninsula, and as a result, the pedestal vessels are similar to each other in style. In the Xituanshan culture of central Jilin, pedestal vessels were used in limited numbers and so were in eastern Jilin of the Tuman River valley in the second half of the Bronze Age culture. In contrast to the tripod vessels, the pedestal vessels never made their appearance in the present-day Heilongjiang during the Bronze Age. It is interesting, however, that in the Tuanjie- Krounovka culture of eastern Heilongjiang, eastern Jilin, northeast Korea and southern Maritime area of Russia, pedestal vessels became very popular,