Bronze Age sun worship in the Wuyue region
——A cultural analysis of bronze staff ornamentation
Lang Jianfeng (School of History and Culture, Shandong University)
Summary: In the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty, a bronze staff ornament with regional characteristics was popular in the Wuyue region, which had strong consistency in structure, shape and decoration. Extrapolating from the combined documents and archaeological data, this bronze staff can be regarded as a simplified sun tree, which is the physical evidence of the Bronze Age sun worship in the Wuyue region. This belief can be traced back to at least the Liangzhu culture and the Hemudu culture in the Wuyue region, and has undergone a significant transformation by the Han and Jin dynasties, and eventually disappeared. The analysis of the symbolic significance of the bronze staff ornament shows that there is a certain continuity of religious beliefs in the Neolithic and Bronze Age in the Wuyue area, and there may be long-distance cultural exchanges between the Wuyue region and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, but the specific process of the two is not clear.
Keywords: Wuyue region bronze staff ornament late Eastern Zhou Dynasty sun tree sun worship
Sun worship occupies an important place in the belief systems of the world's early civilizations. Sun worship also existed in ancient China, especially in ancient China. Previously, many scholars have used ancestral documents and archaeological materials to conduct macroscopic discussions or comprehensive research on ancient Chinese sun worship [1]. Due to the fact that there are few records of religious beliefs in the Bronze Age in the Wuyue region and the late era, the authenticity of the text is quite controversial. Therefore, this paper intends to analyze a bronze staff ornament found only in the Wuyue region, discuss the sun worship of the Bronze Age in the Wuyue region, and discuss the origin of this belief in the Wuyue region.
1. The shape of the bronze staff ornament
At present, the author has collected a total of five pieces (groups) of bronze staff ornaments, the era is relatively concentrated, all of which are in the late Spring and Autumn period. The following is an introduction to its form in the order of discovery time.
Specimen 1, excavated in 1970 in WuxingdaiXi, Zhejiang Province[2]. Only the end of the staff ornament remains, and the reporter borrowed the bronze weapon term, calling it "upset", which can be followed. The upper section of the copper upset is a tubular brass with a thickness and a thin upper and lower thickness, and a kneeling portrait at the bottom; the tubular brass is decorated with two sets of concave string patterns near the mouth, and the middle is a protruding hoop (hereinafter referred to as the "hoop"), decorated with fine spiny stripes, and the upper and lower parts are decorated with cloud patterns and serrated patterns; the end of the tubular brass is a convex ridge with a triangular section (hereinafter referred to as the "convex edge"), and the upper edge of the convex edge is decorated with a cloud pattern. Kneeling figures look at each other with their eyes level, hands on their legs, and intricate geometric patterns on their vertebrae, torso and limbs. Pass height 18.7 cm (Fig. 1:3).
Specimen 2, excavated from the Tubei Mountaintop Tomb in Jiangsu Sultan in 1984 [3]. It consists of two parts: the head of the staff and the head of the staff: a bird-shaped sculpture (the "dove" in the briefing), a short tail with a pointed beak, and a clear feather pattern; and the end of the staff is a kneeling figure. The corresponding position of the head of the staff and the head of the staff is convex and round hoops, the hoops are decorated with fine spiny stripes, the convex edges and hoops are decorated with a week of hooked cloud patterns and serrated patterns, the lower edge of the cane head bird and the upper edge of the cane portrait are also decorated with cloud patterns, and the head of the staff and the cane are decorated with cloud patterns near the portula. Kneeling figures look at each other with their eyes level, hands on their legs, and their torsos and limbs decorated with clouds. The height of the cane head is 21.2, the height of the cane is 19.2, and the maximum diameter of the tubular brass is 3.4 cm (Fig. 1: 1). The bronze staff decorations in this group were excavated with opposite mouths and a straight distribution, with a distance of 1.89 meters, according to which it can be seen that the original height of the bronze staff was close to 2.3 meters.
Specimen 3, excavated from the tomb of Tuqinglongshan in Jiangsu Sultan in 1987[4]. The tomb was stolen in the early years, and only the first part of the staff remains, and the bird-shaped sculpture at the top no longer exists. The shape and decoration of the staff head is closely the same as the head of the staff on the north peak of Dantu. The height of the cane head is 16.5 cm, and the maximum diameter of the tubular brass is 3.3 cm (Fig. 1:2).
Fig. 1 Bronze staff ornament
1. Jiangsu Sultan Tubei MountainTop Staff (M:24) 2.Jiangsu Sultan Tu Qinglongshan Staff (M1:77) 3.Jiangsu Wuxingdaixi Staff 4.Zhejiang Shaoxing Zhongzhuang Village Staff Ornament 5.Zhejiang Deqing Longshan Village Staff Ornament
Specimen 4, excavated in 1990 in Zhongzhuang Village, Lizhu Town, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province[5]. The shape of the head of the staff and the cane head is similar to that of the north peak staff, but there are some differences in the detailed characteristics. The bird-shaped sculpture at the top of the head of the staff is in the shape of a winged flight; the kneeling figure at the end of the staff, the bangs in front of the forehead, the vertebral bun behind the head, the torso and limbs are decorated with cloud patterns, triangle patterns and string patterns, etc.; round hoops, convex edges and tubular brass are decorated with cloud patterns, triangle patterns, and polyline patterns. The height of the head of the cane is 26.7 cm, the height of the cane is 30.65 cm, and the maximum diameter of the head of the cane and the tubular brass of the cane is 3.7 and 3.6 cm, respectively (Fig. 1: 4).
Specimen 5, excavated in 2003 in Heduli, Longshan Village, Wukang Town, Deqing, Zhejiang Province[6]. The shape of the head of the staff differs slightly from other specimens, except for the hoop and the two triangular ridges of the section, there is also a kneeling figure with a posture and surface decoration similar to the kneeling portrait at the end of the cane. The bird at the tip of the staff is crippled and its shape is unknown. The round hoops of the head of the staff and the convex edges are decorated with fine hooked cloud patterns and serrated patterns, which are slightly the same as the ornaments of the staff decorations of Dantu North Peak and Qinglong Mountain. The kneeling portraits of the head of the staff and the cane head point in the upper and lower directions respectively, and the geometric patterns of the portrait decoration are relatively rough. Both the head of the staff and the tubular portula of the cane are slightly damaged. The height of the cane head is 29, the height of the cane is 30 cm, and the maximum diameter of the tubular brass is 4 cm (Fig. 1:5).
The above bronze staff ornaments have a strong consistency in shape or structure, and the basic components include tubular brass, bird-shaped sculptures at the top of the head of the staff, convex edges with triangular sections, round hoops with flat drums in the section, and kneeling portraits; the decorative themes and styles are also relatively close. The tubular brass of the head and the head of the staff are functional designs, and the head of the staff and the head of the staff can be connected by a wooden or bamboo handle; however, the bird-shaped sculpture at the top of the head of the staff, the corresponding distribution of convex edges, round hoops and kneeling portraits seem to be far from being explained by functional requirements, and should have a certain symbolic significance. The consistency of bronze staff ornaments in terms of form or structure requires that when interpreting their symbolic meaning, it is necessary to consider the different constituent elements comprehensively, and not only focus on one aspect of them.
2. The symbolism of the bronze staff ornament
This bronze staff ornamental system is relatively unique, so it can attract the attention of scholars. There has been a lot of discussion in the academic community about its nature or function. For example, excavators of the Dantu North Hilltop Tomb believe that the dove at the top of the staff is Wu Tuteng, and the dove staff is a symbol of supreme power,[7] while Mr. Shen Zuolin (omit the honorifics below), Cai Xiaoli, and Li Xiusong hold similar views.[8] According to the relevant records of the Book of Continuing Han and Etiquette, some scholars argue that this "dove staff" is the embodiment of the ancient Chinese custom of honoring the elderly with a staff, and its origin may be traced back to the prehistoric period [9]. Some scholars have also questioned the view of "honoring the old dove staff", such as Zhou Jianzhong, who pointed out that it was inappropriate to use the literature of the Eastern Han Dynasty to explain the use of artifacts in the Spring and Autumn Period, but the author did not put forward specific views, but only referred to it as a "scepter" in general [10]. Zou Houben believed that this "dove staff" was not a "scepter", but a "dove pillar" arranged on a chariot to be used to hang a drum. In addition, some scholars have proposed "fertility worship", but have not made arguments [12].
Although there are differences in the views of the various families, they all focus on the bird-shaped sculpture at the top of the staff, and there is little discussion of the other constituent elements of the bronze staff ornament, so it has a certain one-sidedness. The interpretation of the symbolism of the bronze staff ornament obviously needs to focus on the overall structure and take into account different constituent elements. Therefore, the following discussion of bird-shaped sculptures, convex edges, hoops, and kneeling figures is intended to clarify the author's understanding of the overall symbolic meaning of the bronze staff ornament.
(1) Bird sculpture. The bird-shaped sculptures at the top of Dantu North Mountain and Shaoxing Lizhu are relatively complete, the former is simple in shape, squatting, pointed beak, short tail; the latter is more vivid, with wings spread and flying, pointed beak, long tail. Based on these two sculptures alone, it is difficult to judge their species, and it is even more difficult to explore the cultural significance. Therefore, its species and its symbolism can only be placed in the overall structure, examined together with other elements.
Figure 2 Cultural relics related to Sanxingdui culture
1.I. Bronze Sacred Tree (K2:94) 2.Bronze Tree (K2:126) 3.Statue of a Kneeling Figure (K2:48)
(2) Convex edges. The analysis below shows that this is the key to understanding the symbolism of the bronze staff. Comparing the convex ridge with the "leading jade bi" (reportedly the "jade arm ring") excavated from the Qianshanyue Tomb in Dongyang, Zhejiang, it is not difficult to find that the two have obvious similarities [13]. "Leading jade bi" was mainly popular from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, and the name, origin, spread, and nature of this jade have been discussed in the academic community. The name "leading jade bi" indicates that this jade is also a kind of jade bi, and its original symbolic meaning should be the same as that of ordinary jade bi. At present, there are many articles discussing the symbolic meaning of yubi, and most scholars have based on the phrase "with the cangbi ceremony heaven" ("Zhou Li Chunguan Dazongbo") as a basis for advocating that yubi is a symbol of "heaven". However, some scholars have found that the shape of Yubi is the same or similar to the sun pattern excavated from the ruins of Xiaoshan Cross-lake Bridge in Zhejiang, the ruins of Yuyao Hemudu and the ruins of Dahe Village in Zhengzhou. Therefore, the jade bi should be a symbol of the sun, a material carrier of the sun worship of the prehistoric ancestors.[16] The author agrees with the proposition that Yubi symbolizes the sun, and believes that the most intuitive and powerful evidence of Yubi as a sun symbol is the Liangzhu culture Yubi with the "flying bird" inscription, and its composition is basically the same as the circular gold ornaments and bird-patterned bi-shaped objects excavated from the Jinsha site in Chengdu, Sichuan, and its symbolic significance should not be far away (see below for details). Leading jade bi as a special category of jade bi should also be used to symbolize the sun. The practice of running the leading or bi, which symbolizes the sun, vertically is also found in the bronze trees excavated from the "sacrifice pit" of Sanxingdui in Guanghan, Sichuan, which has a complex shape and a clear nature, thus becoming an important bridge to reveal the symbolic significance of the bronze staff ornament in the Wuyue region.
Sanxingdui "sacrifice pit" bronze trees are large and small. Among them, the large bronze tree No. I number K2:94 is relatively well preserved, and the structure is relatively clear: the bottom is a circular instrument seat, with a diameter of 92.4 to 93.5 cm, and on it is 3 transparently carved arches, decorated with plagiarism. The trunk is vertically upward, the branches are divided into 3 layers, each layer is 3 branches; the trunk at the top of the trunk and the trunk below the second and third layers of branches are connected to the trunk, and each layer of branches is divided into 2 branches in the middle section, and the end is a flower, and the flowers are also connected to the hollow "ring of the pattern", and there is a standing bird on each of the branches, and the lower end of the trunk is cast with a downward climbing dragon. The trunk is 3.59 meters high and 3.96 meters high (Fig. 2:1). Some scholars have combined the shape of the bronze tree and the records of the legends to point out that this tall bronze tree is the sun-inhabited Fuso and Wakasagi [18].
In the records of the world, the sacred trees related to the sun include Fuso (also known as "Yusang" or "Fumu"), Wakami, Taodu and several others. Among them, "Fuso" is in the east, which is the "sacred tree" of the sunrise. For example, the "Classic of Mountains and Seas and overseas east classics": "There is Fuso on Yutani, bathed in ten days, in the north of black teeth, living in the water, nine days in the lower branch, one day in the upper branch." "Huainanzi Astronomical Training": "The sun comes out of the Yang Valley, bathing in the salty pond, and whispering in Fusang, which is called morning light." Climbing on Fuso, the beginning will be done, it is said to be Ming. "The Classic of Mountains and Seas: The Great Wilderness Of the East Classic": "In the midst of the great wilderness, there are mountains, and the name is evil and shaking." There is a butter on it, three hundred miles of pillars, and its leaves are like mustard. There is a valley known as the Wenyuan Valley. There are fumu on Yutani, one day to the end, one day out, all contained in Wu. "Huainanzi TopographicAl Training": "Fumu is in Yangzhou, where the sun is shining." "Wakaki" is in the west, the tree of hyuga. For example, the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Great Wilderness of the North Classic: "In the great wilderness, there are Hengshi Mountain, Jiuyin Mountain, and Dongye Mountain, and there are red trees, green leaves, and red flowers, and the name is Wakaki." "Huainanzi Topographical Training": "If the wood is in jianmu west, there will be ten days at the end, and its hua will shine on the ground." The records of "Taodu" are as follows: "In the southeast there is Taodu Mountain, and there is a big tree on it, called Taodu, and the branches are three thousand miles away." There are heavenly chickens on it, and when the sun rises, the light illuminates this wood, and the heavenly chickens chirp, and the flock of chickens all sings with it. The Xuanzhong Ji quoted in the Ancient Jade Atlas is slightly different, saying: "To the east of Penglai, the mountain of Daiyu, there is a tree of Fusang on it." The tree is tall, and there are often heavenly chickens on the top of the trees, which are nested on the top, and every night when the child is coming, the heavenly chickens are singing, and the sun in the middle of the day is responding to it, and the yang is singing, then the chickens in the world are singing. [19] Guo Moruo believes that peaches evolved from Fusang, and that there are celestial chickens in addition to Yangwu, which are characteristic of the new legends.
Excavators believe that the three arches at the bottom are "like tree roots". By comparing the base of the bronze sacred tree, the fragments of the top of the bronze statue of the kneeling figure, the base of the small bronze figure number K2:292-2, and the pattern on the Ab-type jade zhang numbered K2:201-4, the author believes that the base of the bronze tree may represent the mountain where Fuso or Wakaki is located, that is, "Evil Rock Mountain" or "Hengshi Mountain, Jiuyin Mountain, And Dongye Mountain". As for the "ring of glyphosis" with bronze branches and trunks, excavators have pointed out that it is the "image of the sun",[21] and Yu Weichao also believes that this "swirling ring" is a "copper jade model". A closer look reveals that the "swirling ring" on the bronze tree apparently simulates two different forms of jade bi. Among them, the "swirling ring" in the middle and lower part of the trunk is a model of the general jade bi, while the "swirl ring" at the top of the trunk and the end of the branch is an imitation of the leading jade bi. It is worth noting that the Sanxingdui site also unearthed a number of bronzes with similar shapes to the convex edges of the staff and the leading jade bi [23] (Fig. 2:2). As mentioned earlier, both the jade bi and the leading jade bi are symbols of the sun, and these "copper jade bi models" appear in different positions of the trunk and branches, which may be intended to express the dynamic effect of "one day to one day, one day to out".
In addition to running bi or leading bi through it, the similarity between the Wuyue bronze staff and the Sanxingdui bronze tree is also reflected in the bird-shaped sculpture at the end of the staff or at the top of the tree. Based on the similarity in structure between the Wuyue bronze staff and the Sanxingdui bronze tree, the author believes that the Wuyue bronze staff has the same symbolic significance as the Sanxingdui bronze tree, and both are sacred trees inhabited by the sun. The bronze staff runs through the bi or led bi, which symbolizes the sun, and is topped by the sun-carrying sunbird (wu), and its overall structure has the meaning of "climbing on the fuso, and the beginning will go".
(3) Hoops and kneeling portraits. Zhou Ya was the first to notice the similarity in form and decoration between the hoops on the bronze staff ornaments and the bronze figures in the Wuyue region,[25] and Zheng Xiaolu also explicitly pointed out that the hoops on the staff ornaments were imitations of the three-stage bronze figures commonly found in the Wuyue region. Bronze zun is an important category of ancient Chinese bronzes, which was mainly popular in the Central Plains before the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty. However, bronze figures continued to be used until the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty, with bronze figures with flat abdomen drums and finely decorated with thorns and serrated stripes being the most distinctive. A simple comparison of the bronze statue excavated from Tomb No. 306 in Shaoxing with the hoop above the bronze staff ornament reveals that the similarities between the two are evident in terms of form and decoration. Therefore, Zhou Ya and Zheng Xiaolu's interpretation of the bronze staff ornamental hoop is correct [29]. The round hoop symbolizing the bronze statue, together with the figure sculpture at the bottom of the bronze staff ornament, constitutes a scene of a servant or waiter "kneeling on the top", which is also found in the excavated cultural relics of the "sacrifice pit" of Sanxingdui.
Scenes of Sanxingdui's "sacrificial pit" and "kneeling on top" appear on a bronze vessel numbered K2:48 (reportedly referred to as a "trumpet-shaped kneeling figure of a top-of-the-roofed figure"). The base of the apparatus has three short feet, hollow pattern, decorative ribs. The kneeling figure has a bare upper body, a skirt on the lower body, a belt around the waist, an open folded shoulder on the top of the head, and a bronze abdomen supported by both hands. The top of the figure is a trumpet-shaped fragment decorated with four sets of simplified mountain ornaments, with a base diameter of 10, a height of 5.3, and a height of 16 cm [30] (Fig. 2: 3). It should be noted that the discussion of the fragments at the top of the bronze statue is very noteworthy. The reporter described it as a "flared lid with a broken lid"; Sun Hua speculated that it might be a broken lid or some other shaped artifact base,[31] and Robert Bagley believed that the bronze figure was topped by the base of a small bronze tree. From the previous description of the Sanxingdui bronze tree, it can be found that the fragments at the top of the bronze statue are very similar to the base of the bronze tree. Therefore, the author agrees with Begley's point of view. If this view is correct, the complete form of the vessel is almost exactly the same as the structure of the Wuyue bronze staff ornament.
Bronze statues occupy a very important position in the Sanxingdui culture, and the two "sacrifice pits" have unearthed a total of 25 bronze containers (including container fragments), of which as many as 14 bronze statues, accounting for more than half. According to this, some scholars pointed out that the bronze ceremonial vessels of the Sanxingdui culture were centered on bronze statues, which were an important medium used by the Shu people to communicate with human gods.[33] Further studies have shown that bronze figures occupy a prominent position not only in Shudi, but also in the ceremonial system of the Yin Ruins period throughout the Yangtze River Basin.[34] The bronze statue or "top statue kneeling" appears on the Wuyue bronze staff and Sanxingdui bronze fragments, indicating that the popularity of bronze zun in the Yangtze River Basin has its religious background; bronze zun in the Wuyue region continued until the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty, indicating that related religious beliefs (including sun worship) and their rituals continued for a longer period in the Wuyue region.
In summary, the bronze staff of the Wuyue region can be regarded as a simplified sun tree in its entirety, a product of the bronze age sun worship in the region. The top of the staff is a yang bird that "ascends to Fuso, and the beginning will go", and the staff body runs through the leading bi, symbolizing the situation of "one day to the day, one day to the end", and the instruments required for the relevant ceremonies (bronze statues) and servants or attendants are represented in the form of sculptures. Thus, the bronze staff simultaneously expresses part of the beliefs and rituals of bronze age sun worship in the Wuyue region.
3. The origin of sun worship in the Wuyue region
Figure 3 "Yang Bird" pattern at the Hemudu site and the Jinsha site
1.Butterfly Shaper at Hemudu Ruins (T226(3B):71)2.Jinsha Ruins Gold Ornaments (2001CQJC:477)3.Jinsha Ruins Leading Bi Shaper (2001CQJC:542)4.Bone Dagger at Hemudu Ruins(T21(4):8)
Figure 4 Liangzhu culture "standing bird" inscription
1.No.3 Bi of Frier Museum of Fine Arts, USA 2.Yu Chun of Beijing Capital Museum 3.Yu Bi of the "National Palace" Museum in Taipei 4.Yu Bi of Anxi, Yuhang, Zhejiang 5.Yu Chun of Jimei Museum of France 6.No. 1 Bi of Friar Art Museum, USA
Current archaeological sources and studies suggest that the Bronze Age sun cult in the Wuyue region originated from the Neolithic Age. For example, the "butterfly-shaped vessel" excavated from the Hemudu site in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, depicts the "double bird chaoyang" pattern on the front [36] (Fig. 3:1). The upper part of the vessel is damaged, the lower part is intact, the central part is composed of five concentric circles of varying sizes, depicted with flame patterns, flanked by a bird's head with a hooked beak, round eye, and curved neck, and a feathered pattern at the bottom, symbolizing the outstretched wings, and the overall composition is consistent with the gold ornaments excavated from the Jinsha site and the pattern on the leading bi shaper, but the latter is more intuitive. The "Golden Four Birds Around the Sun Ornament" is a circle as a whole, hollowed out ornamentation, the inner layer is a circle, and 12 rotating tooth-shaped sun rays are distributed equally around it, and the outer pattern is composed of 4 identical day-catching birds, with their heads and feet connected, flying in a counterclockwise direction. The outer diameter is 12.5, the inner diameter is 5.29, and the thickness is 0.02 cm (Fig. 3:2). The "Copper Three Birds Pattern with Collar Shape" is a circle with a round hole in the center and a rectangular short handle on one side. The bulge around the round hole forms a high collar, the ends of the collar are slightly larger and the center is slightly smaller, and the collar edge is wider and folded outward. The two sides of the side wheel are cast with the same ornament, which is three birds with heads and tails, and the shape and layout of the birds are similar to the gold ornaments in the front, with the same meaning. The diameter of the device is 10.2, the aperture is 4.3, and the neck height is 2.9 cm (Fig. 3: 3). Therefore, it can be basically determined that the engraved drawing on the "butterfly shaped device" of the Hemudu site is also a picture of the "Bird Luck Day". A similar pattern is found on a bone dagger. The bone dagger is 14.5 cm long and 3.4 cm wide, and the two sets of patterns are similar in parallel, both are double-headed birds, with a hooked beak and a round eye, the bird's back, and the middle of the bird's body is the circular center of a heavy ring (Fig. 3:4).
Entering the Liangzhu culture period, the belief in sun worship was more expressed in jade. The following is an example of two sets of carved symbols of Liangzhu culture jade to discuss the sun worship at that time.
The first group, the "Standing Bird" inscription. The more complete compositions of such engraved jade objects have been handed down or collected, and the more complete compositions include high platforms, columns, and birds, and occasionally omitting the image of columns or birds (Fig. 4:1-6). Some scholars have argued that the high platform is a painted altar with a motif depicting the sun or birds. The author agrees with this research idea and will further clarify the symbolic meaning of the inscription of the neutral column and the bird, because there are still differences between different researchers. For example, Mou Yongkang believed that the pillar was a branch for birds to inhabit, while the composition of the "platform-pillar-bird" reflected the social customs of the ancients to worship in space or to a certain god in heaven,[41] and Deng Shuping referred to the pillar as a "divine pole" and the lower orb as a "bird's egg", and associated it with the record of the "Heavenly Destiny Bird". Considering the similarity between the "Pillar-Bird" inscription and the bronze staff in wuyue region, the author believes that the column should also symbolize the sun's entry and exit of Fuso or Wakasagi, and the "lianzhu" at the bottom of the column can correspond to the convex edge decorated with the bronze staff and the "swirl ring" of the Sanxingdui bronze tree, which is a symbol of "ten days" or "multi-day", which together with the "standing bird" at the top of the inscription, jointly express the effect of "one day to the day, one day to the side", and the so-called "altar" of the commentators can be regarded as the mountain where Fuso or Wakaki is located.
Figure 5 Liangzhu culture "flying bird" carved symbol Yubi
1.Folier Museum of Art Yubi 2.Taiwan Lantian Shanfang Yubi 3.Victoria and Albert Museum Yubi, UK
Fig. 6 Glazed pottery "stacker"
1. Zhejiang Shangyu Lianjiang Anshan excavation 2.Zhejiang Yinxian Lishui West Mountain excavation
The second group, the "Asuka" inscription. A total of three cases have been found, all located on the side of Yubi, in the Freer Gallery in the United States, in the Lantian Mountain House in Taiwan, in mainland China, and in the Victoria and Albert Museum in the United Kingdom. The jade bi of the Friel Museum of Fine Arts has a diameter of 23.65, aperture of 4.5 and a thickness of 1.2 cm. Two winged birds and two tree-shaped ornaments (Deng Shuping used it as "swimming fish") are distributed clockwise and equidistantly, with bird patterns 1.2 cm long and tree grains 1.8 cm high, decorated with 4 groups of cloud thunder patterns, each group of 3, 5.2 to 6.3 cm long. In addition, the front and back sides of the jade bi are carved with hill-shaped ornaments and "standing birds" (Fig. 5:1). The jade bi stored in the Lantian Mountain House is 27.5 in diameter, 4.5 to 4.7 in aperture, and 1.3 cm in thickness. The side wall engraving is three spread-winged birds distributed clockwise and equidistantly, the bird is 0.55 to 0.6 cm long, interspersed with three groups of cloud thunder patterns, each group of 4, 5.7 to 6 cm long. The jade bi side is also carved with a "standing bird" motif (Fig. 5:2). The Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of carved jade bibi is large, with a diameter of 32.50, aperture of 3.9 and a thickness of 1.55 cm. Two winged birds and two "blank" birds are distributed clockwise and equidistantly, one of which is intact and 1.75 cm long, and the other is worn and decorated with four sets of clouds, each with four sets of 5.2 cm long (Figure 5:3).
Deng Shuping believes that the "flying bird" inscription represents the sun, and the ancients believed that there was more than one sun, so there was more than one bird-shaped pattern. The relevant materials in front, especially the circular gold ornaments excavated at the Jinsha site and the pattern on the top of the leading bi shaper, indicate that Deng Shuping's opinion can be followed. The tree patterns on the side of the Yubi of the Friar Art Museum are distributed with the birds, which may represent the Fuso and Wakaki that enter and exit the sun respectively, and the "flying bird" inscription on the side of the Folier Art Museum and the Lantian Mountain House Yubi coexist with the "Standing Bird" inscription on the front or back of the Yubi, which is a double expression of the myth of the operation of the sun, moving and static, and reflecting each other. Therefore, the connotation of the "flying bird" inscription on the side wall of Yubi is in line with the symbolic meaning of Yubi.
Fourth, the fading of sun worship in the Wuyue region
In the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the Yue Dynasty destroyed Wu, Chu annihilated Yue, and the Wuyue region was based on Chu, and there may be some changes in local religious beliefs. However, due to the lack of relevant information, especially archaeological data, it is not possible to conduct a more in-depth study of this issue, and can only be speculated based on sporadic documentary records.
In 1997, Anshan, Lianjiang, Shangyu, Zhejiang Province, cleaned up a brick chamber tomb in the middle and late Eastern Han Dynasty, and unearthed burial items including a brown-yellow glazed pottery "pile plasticizer". The base of the vessel is bowl-shaped, and the upper part is a cylinder with a thin upper and lower thickness. At the top of the cylinder is a large bird-like sculpture with wings spread, and more than ten small birds are stacked around the cylinder and on the base, slightly damaged. The base of the device has a diameter of 19.2 cm and a height of 49.5 cm (Fig. 6:1). Another related piece of plastic stacker (the author called the "garlic pot") was excavated in the Western Mountains of Lishui, Yin County, during the Eastern Han Dynasty. The vessel is also a bowl-shaped seat, connected to a cylinder, and the top of the cylinder is a flat drum belly tank-shaped mouth. The heads of birds and beasts are piled on the columns, and a person crawls down upside down with his head held high, and the base is a scene of leading a dragon and a tiger. The diameter of the device is 4.2, the bottom diameter is 16.2, and the height is 42.3 cm (Fig. 6:2).
Some scholars have associated these two artifacts with the five-in-one tank (the author calls it the "five-pipe bottle") popular in the middle and late Eastern Han Dynasty and the heap plastic jar (also known as the "soul bottle", "barn jar", etc.) in the Wu and Jin dynasties, and discussed the cosmological concepts of their reactions. The overall structure and decoration of the pile plastic excavated from Anshan, Shangyu Lianjiang, are more obviously similar to the "standing bird" inscription on the jade bi of the Liangzhu culture and the bronze sacred tree of the Sanxingdui culture; the top of the pile plastic cylinder excavated from the Xishan Mountain of Lishui, Yinxian County has become a flat drum belly tank shaped mouth, and the decorative themes are gradually enriched, and in terms of shape and decoration, they are related to the five-in-one tank and the plastic canister in the Han and Jin Dynasties. Although there is currently no academic consensus on the symbolism of the pentathic and plastic cans, it seems difficult to relate them to sun worship. Therefore, it can be roughly inferred that the belief in sun worship in the Wuyue region during the Han and Jin dynasties may have undergone a major transformation or faded.
In terms of documentary records, the third volume of the "Naturalist" written by Zhang Hua of the Western Jin Dynasty has a record about the Yue people taking "ye bird" as the "ancestor of Yue Zhu", and its text reads:
There are birds in the deep mountains of Yuedi, such as doves, cyan, known as "smelting birds". Wearing a large tree as a nest like a lifter, its household caliber is several inches, and the perimeter is decorated with chalks, red and white, and resembles a shooting hou. When logging sees this tree, it is avoided. Or in the night, people don't see birds, birds don't know people don't see them, and they chirp: "Duh, duh, go up!" "Tomorrow I'll go up the tree cheaply." Duh, duh, go down! "Tomorrow is cheap and urgent. If he goes, but does not stop laughing, he can stop cutting. If there is defilement and transgression, there are tigers who come to guard it all night, and those who do not know it will harm others. This bird sees its form in the daytime, and the bird also hears its song at night, and the man also hears. When the time comes to see the music, he will be sad and joyful, three feet long, and take the stone crab from the stream, and burn it in the fire, and he shall not offend it. The Yue people call this bird the ancestor of Yue Zhu. ［49］
A similar account can also be found in volume XII of the Book of Searching for God by Gan Bao of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, with only slight discrepancies in the text, which reads:
There are birds in the deep mountains of Yuedi, as big as doves, cyan, and the name is "smelting birds". Wearing large trees as nests, such as five or six liters, the diameter of the household is several inches, and the perimeter is decorated with chalks, red and white, and the shape is like a shooting. When the loggers saw this tree, they avoided it. Or when the birds are not seen in the night, and the birds are not seen, they call out: "Duh, duh, go up!" "Tomorrow is cheap and urgent." Duh, duh, go down! "Tomorrow is cheap and urgent. If he does not go away, but does not laugh and laugh, he may stop cutting. If there are those who are filthy and who have committed transgressions, there are tigers who come to keep them, and if they do not go, they will hurt people. This bird sees its form in the daytime, and it is also a bird; it listens to its song at night, and it is also a bird. When there are spectators, they will take the form of a human, three feet long, and take a stone crab from the stream, and they will burn it, and no one shall offend it. The Yue people call this bird the ancestor of Yue Zhu. ［50］
From these two passages, we can no longer see any connection between the sun and the dove, which may indicate that the belief in the "Bird Luck Day", which had long been popular in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages in the Wuyue region, had disappeared by the two Jin Dynasties.
5. Aftermath
In combination with the relevant physical materials, the author analyzes the shape of the bronze staff ornament of the Eastern Zhou Period in the Wuyue region, and discusses the religious beliefs of the Bronze Age in the Wuyue region on this basis. As far as I can see, there was a sun worship in the Wuyue region during the Bronze Age, and this belief can be traced back at least to the Hemudu culture and the Liangzhu culture. However, the Hemudu culture and the Liangzhu culture are far from the bronze staff ornaments discussed in this article in time, and they have undergone a variety of archaeological cultures, and their significant changes in political organization and economic structure can be imagined. The discussion in this article seems to indicate that there was a certain continuity in the religious beliefs of the Wuyue region from the middle Neolithic to the late Bronze Age. This phenomenon may indicate that faith has greater stability and continuity than politics and economics.
In interpreting the symbolism of the bronze staff, the author has repeatedly cited Sanxingdui cultural relics. The structural similarity between the bronze staff and the Sanxingdui bronze tree, and the popularity of bronze zun in the Yangtze River Basin, may indicate that there may be some cultural exchanges between the Wuyue region located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Shudi in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, but there is a huge time and space gap between the bronze staff in the Wuyue region and the sanxingdui bronze tree and other cultural relics. Interestingly, both the Sanxingdui "sacrifice pit" and the Jinsha site have unearthed a large number of jade quinces, including a late Liangzhu culture jade with carved symbols. Yu Chun is a typical representative of Liangzhu culture jade, which is the consensus of the academic community, and the Liangzhu Yu Chun and its imitations unearthed by the Sanxingdui culture have caused us to think about the media role of "things" and the "meaning" carried by "things" in cultural exchanges and cultural inheritance.
Due to insufficient literature and the lack of archaeological data, the inheritance process of religious beliefs in the Wuyue area and the channels of cultural exchange between the Wuyue region and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River have not yet been satisfactorily answered. This requires us to collect relevant data more extensively in our future research work, pay close attention to new archaeological discoveries, and actively draw on the theories and research results of related disciplines to enhance our ability to interpret archaeological data, so as to deepen the research on related issues.
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[17] Sichuan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology: Sanxingdui Sacrifice Pit, Cultural Relics Publishing House, 1999, Figure 120, p. 218.
[18] Sun Hua, The Bronze Age of the Sichuan Basin, Science Press, 2000, p. 240.
[19] Mr. Lu Xun Memorial Committee: The Complete Works of Lu Xun, vol. VIII, "The Ancient Novel Hook Shen Xuanzhong", People's Literature Publishing House, 1973, p. 489.
[20] Guo Moruo, "Taodu, Nuwa, Jialing", Cultural Relics, No. 1, 1973.
[21] Sichuan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology: Sanxingdui Sacrifice Pit, Cultural Relics Publishing House, 1999, p. 444.
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[23] Sichuan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology: Sanxingdui Sacrifice Pit, Cultural Relics Publishing House, 1999, Figure 154, p. 282.
[24] Probably due to the limitations of the shape, the Wuyue bronze staff only has a bird-shaped sculpture at the top, which is different from the Sanxingdui bronze tree and a bird corresponding to one bi.
[25] Zhou Ya, "Several Problems in the Study of Bronze Ware in Mound Tombs in Wuyue Region: From the Bronze Ware of Tunxi Mound Tombs in Anhui Province", Ma Chengyuan, ed., Collected Papers on Bronze Ware in Wuyue Region, Liangmu Publishing House, 1997, pp. 55-70.
[26] Zheng Xiaolu, "Research on Zhou Dynasty Bronzes in Wuyue and Baiyue Areas", Science Press, 2007, p. 201.
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[28] Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Administration Committee, Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Shaoxing Regional Cultural Bureau, Shaoxing Municipal Cultural Management Committee: "Briefing on the Excavation of The Warring States Tomb No. 306 in Shaoxing", Cultural Relics, No. 1, 1984. There are differences in the academic community on the national ownership of the tomb, and the relevant discussion can be found in Lang Jianfeng: "Shaoxing No. 306 Tomb Exploration", Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Journal of Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Ninth Series, Science Press, 2009, pp. 263-272.
[29] However, it is not advisable for Zhou Ya to judge the Bronze Age of the Wuyue region by using the hoops and the thorn marks on the bronze statues, see Shi Jinsong, Studies on Bronzes in the Yangtze River Basin, p. 259.
[30] Sichuan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology: Sanxingdui Sacrifice Pit, Cultural Relics Publishing House, 1999, Figure 86, p. 170.
[31] [33] Sun Hua, The Bronze Age of the Sichuan Basin, Science Press, 2000, pp. 259, 261.
［32］Robert Bagley.Ancient Sichuan:Treasure from a Lost Civilization.Seattle Art Museum and Prince ton University Press,2001,p.138.
[34] Zhang Changping, "On the Zunhe Of the Southern Zunhe In the Yin Ruins Period", Archaeological Journal 15, Cultural Relics Publishing House, 2004.
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[36] Zhejiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology: Hemudu, Cultural Relics Publishing House, 2003, Figure 194-5, p. 285. For the direction of the "butterfly device", see Xiang Ming: "About Hemudu T226 (3B):79 "Double Bird Chaoyang" Butterfly Device", Oriental Museum, 21st Series, Zhejiang University Press, 2006.
[37] [51] Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology: "Briefing on the Excavation of the "Meiyuan" Site in Area I of Chengdu Jinsha Site", Figures 5-7, 10, Feng 3, 106, 135-1, Cultural Relics, No. 4, 2004.
[38] Zhejiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology: Hemudu, Cultural Relics Publishing House, 2003, Figure 70-3, p. 116.
[39] [41] Mou Yongkang, Archaeological Observations on Sun Worship in the Prehistoric Period of the East, with [34].
[40] Deng Shuping, Mysterious Symbols on Liangzhu Jade, tong[34]; translated by Wu Hong, Li Qingquan, and Zheng Yan: "Monumentality" in Ancient Chinese Art and Architecture, Shanghai People's Publishing House, 2009, p. 46.
[42] [44] Deng Shuping, "The Hundred Selections of Jade in the Blue Field Mountain", Nian Xi Wen Jiao Foundation, 1995, pp. 21, 20.
[43] Deng Shuping: "The Original Meaning of Yubi on bi carved by Liangzhu", with [15].
[45] Shangyu County Cultural Relics Administration: "Zhejiang Shangyu Lianjiang AnshanShanshan Han Tomb", Southeast Culture, No. 5, 1992; Shangyu Museum: "The Light of the Porcelain Country - A Review of the Ancient Porcelain Industry in Shangyu", Zhejiang People's Fine Arts Publishing House, 2007, p. 70.
[46] Zhu Boqian and Lin Shimin, "The Origin and Influence of Mainland Black Porcelain", Archaeology, No. 12, 1983; Dong Yi'an, editor-in-chief: "The Collection of Cultural Relics of Ningbo", Huaxia Publishing House, 1996, plate 23.
[47] Tong Tao, "The Cosmic Concept Reflected in the Soul Bottle", Southern Cultural Relics, No. 1, 2003.
[48] Tong Tao, "Archaeological Comprehensive Study on han and Jin Five-Tanks and Soul Vases in the Lower Yangtze River Region", PhD Dissertation of Sichuan University, 2006, pp. 3-9.
[49] Written by Zhang Hua et al. of the Western Jin Dynasty and Wang Genlin, Naturalist Chronicles (Seven Kinds of Foreign Books), Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 2012, p. 17.
[50] Written by Eastern Jin Dynasty Gan Bao and Southern Dynasty Liu Yiqing, Qian Zhenmin Dian: "Search for God And The Book of The New Language of the World", Yuelu Book Club, 2006, p. 107.
About author:Jianfeng Zhao (1981-), male, lecturer at the School of History and Culture of Shandong University, main research directions: Shang zhou archaeology, ancient Chinese bronzes, etc.
Originally published in Southeast Culture, No. 4, 2015