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Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

author:History of the Institute of Archaeology

The basic shape of the copper square box is a rectangular box body, which is attached to the casting of animals and figures of different shapes, the top of the box has many covered doors that can be opened, and the feet are composed of wheels or animals and human figures. Such artifacts are mainly found in Shanxi, Henan, Gansu, Shandong and other places, such as Wenxi Shangguo Village Cemetery in Shanxi [1], Shanxi Quwobei Zhao Jin Marquis Cemetery [2], Shanxi Yuanqubei White Goose Cemetery [3], Henan Jun County Xincun Cemetery, Henan Sanmenxia Yuguo Cemetery, Gansu Lixian Yuandingshan Qin Tomb [4], Shandong Zaozhuang Xiaoyi State Cemetery [5], etc.

1. Form and naming

At present, there are 5 copper square boxes with wheels, including 4 archaeological uneartheds and 1 piece in the collection of Poly Museum, which belongs to the late Western Zhou Dynasty to the early and middle Spring and Autumn period. In terms of the number of wheels, there are two kinds of wheels: double wheels and four wheels, and in terms of the number of spokes, there are two types: 8 wheels and 10 wheels.

(1) Overview of archaeological excavations

1.山西垣曲北白鹅墓地铜方盒[6]

Unearthed in the northeast of the M6 coffin coffin in the white goose cemetery in the north of Yuanqu, the overall shape is like a car, the upper and lower are small, the edge is out, along the inner circle support, the door box lid is opened, the box lid is opposite to each other, the four corners of the box body are connected with 4 back curle-tailed four-legged dragon-shaped beasts, the box body bears the hollow high circle seat, the middle of the seat is disposed of in front of the shaft, connected to two wheels, can be rotated, the wheel is 8 spokes, and there is a support on the far end of the ring foot to fix the body. The lid is decorated with dragon patterns, the body of the box and the ring feet are decorated with a double single dragon pattern, each side is decorated with a group, the dragon pattern at the foot of the ring is hollowed out, and the shaft head is the head of an animal, dating from the early to mid-Spring and Autumn period (Figure 1).

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig.1 White Goose Cemetery M6:53 in Yuanqubei [7]

2. Guarding the car[8]

Unearthed in the upper right corner of the skull in the M7 coffin in the cemetery of Shangguo Village, Wenxi, Shanxi. The whole utensils are rectangular vans, there are double fan covers on the top of the car that can be opened, the cover is embedded with a monkey-shaped catcher, surrounded by four small birds; the wall decoration of the phoenix bird pattern against each other, and there is the animal-shaped decoration; the foot of the instrument is composed of two large wheels, two crouching tigers, and there are two small wheels under the feet of the two tigers, which mainly play a supporting role; so there are two large wheels, four small wheels, can be pulled by the ring, and the hand pushes and rotates, and it should be classified into the two-wheeled category from the overall shape. It belongs to the late Western Zhou Dynasty (Fig. 2).

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty
Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty
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Fig.2 Wenxi Shangguo Village Cemetery M7:2[9]

3. Shanxi Wenxi Shangguo Village four-wheeled copper car

Unearthed in Wenxi Shangguo Village cemetery M374, because M374 was disturbed, the artifact was damaged during the excavation, and was later repaired. The overall shape of the utensil is a rectangular small car, which is composed of three main parts: the car, the wheel, and the wheel. The bottom of the car is cast on both sides of the wheel, both ends of the wheel are wheels, a total of 4 wheels, each wheel has 8 spokes, can still move; the four corners of the car are cast and decorated with the prostrate capuchin beast, the public opinion surface has a cover, the cover is two, can be opened; the middle of the cover is cast with the monkey of the image of squatting posture as a horse; the cover and the four sides of the car are decorated with double luan bird pattern. It dates from the Western Weekend to the early Spring and Autumn Period (Fig. 3) [10].

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig.3 Wenxi Shangguo Village Cemetery M374:14[11]

4. Gansu Lixian Yuandingshan cemetery four-wheeled square box

Excavated in the southwest corner of the M1 coffin in the Dome Hill cemetery. The cover door is double-open (open to the wide face), with the two bears as the cover button, the four corners of the mouth stand four birds, the four corners of the wall are decorated with four reptiles, the foot is four wheels, each round has 8 spokes, and the cover and the wall are decorated with typical Qin-style pan patterns. It is dated to the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period (Fig. 4) [12].

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig.4 Spring and Autumn Qin Tomb of Yuandingshan in Lixian County M1:9[13]

5. Copper sagon in the collection of the Poly Museum

The artifact is composed of three main parts: the car, the wheel, and the wheel, and its shape is basically the same as that of the model box unearthed from the M374 in Wenxi Shangguo Village, except that the four wheels are 10 spokes (Fig. 5).

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig.5 Copper 復 from the Poly Museum[14]

(2) Purpose and naming

Judging from the level of the tombs unearthed from the square boxes and the identity of the tomb owners, all the square boxes (including the wheelless square boxes) were unearthed in the tombs of high-ranking nobles, and the tomb owners had a strong gender tendency, and most of them were women. For example, the White Goose Cemetery in Yuanqubei, Shanxi Province, the excavators believe that this cemetery is a Caiyi cemetery in Wangji of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty of the Taibao Kuanzhong (Yanzhong) branch of the Zhao family [15], and the M6 tomb is of high specification, with an area of more than 20 square meters, and a large number of bronzes are buried with it. M1 of the Qin State Cemetery in Yuandingshan, Lixian County, Gansu Province, has martyrs, dogs, etc., and there are jade tools buried with them, and the specifications are higher, M1 and M2 are joint tombs of husband and wife, and M1 tomb owners are females;

The specific purpose of the box can be judged by the contents of the box. The contents of the wheelless square box mainly include jewelry and cosmetics: the copper square box in the northwest corner of the M63 coffin chamber in the Jinhou cemetery in Quwo, Shanxi Province, is full of all kinds of small jade utensils, including jade people, bears, cows, eagles, owls, reeds, turtles, etc.; 2 pieces of jade jue and 1 jade ear knife unearthed in the M3 cemetery of Xiaoyi Country in Zaozhuang, Shandong Province; Turquoise animal faces and bone flutes, the copper box unearthed from Tomb No. 2012 of the Sanmenxia Yuguo Cemetery contained a group of charms composed of turquoise, material beads, and coal essence, and the copper box unearthed at M4 of the White Goose Cemetery in Yuanqubei was filled with residues mixed with red substances, which should have been based on animal fat, with plant essential oils, and possibly cosmetics with cinnabar as pigments [17]. In summary, the square box is mainly used for cosmetics and jewelry.

A number of scholars in the academic community have done research on the naming of the box, the most representative of which is Mr. Li Ling's opinion, which believes that the jewelry box should be named "椟" and "匵", and that the naming of the cosmetic box should be judged to be "匵" in combination with the inscription of Liang Ji jar and Mr. Chen Yun's interpretation of the inscription [18], and the newly discovered square box containing cosmetics should be consistent with the name of the round jar.

Second, the source of modeling

(1) Box body and ornamentation

From the late Shang Dynasty, square ware was generally popular in bronzes, such as Fang Ding, Fang Wei, etc., until the early Western Zhou Dynasty, Yin relics still used more square ware, but after the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty, square ware gradually disappeared.

From the rear view, there are three "squares" on the axle at the bottom of the copper box at the Dome Hill in Lixian County, and on the bottom plan of the copper box (Fig. 6), there is a "square" on the left and right sides of the double axis (inside the hub) and in the center. The "squares" on the left and right sides of the axle are located at the junction of the axle and the bottom frame of the box, symbolizing the "rabbit". "Fu Rabbit" is a rectangular wooden block stuffed in the gap between the wheel and the axle, which plays a role in stability and shock absorption. The carriage is the frame at the bottom of the carriage, which is a part of the carriage, which just shows that the copper box on the shaft actually symbolizes the carriage. Of course, it is taken from the general idea, not the details are exactly the same, for example, the lid of the former is different from the door of the latter at the back end.

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig.6 Spring and Autumn Qin Tomb of Yuandingshan in Lixian County M1:9[19]

The ornaments on the square box are mostly typical ornaments of bronze ware in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, such as dragon patterns, phoenix bird patterns, etc. Bird pattern is a relatively common ornament on Shang and Western Zhou bronzes, which first appeared in the middle of the Shang Dynasty and was mostly an auxiliary ornament, and began to become a theme decoration at the end of the Shang Dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, and around the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the phoenix bird pattern as a theme decoration was already very popular, reaching the heyday of the bird pattern, and gradually declined after the late Western Zhou Dynasty [20]. The dragon pattern was the most important and popular ornament in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and after King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty, the dragon pattern, the back pattern, the wave pattern, the heavy ring pattern, and the vertical scale pattern began to appear, and all of them had the characteristics of harmony and liveliness[21], and from the late Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Spring and Autumn period, the dragon pattern began to appear in a coiled formal structure [22].

(2) Animal and humanoid attachments

At present, most of the square boxes found are made of animal images as lid buttons or used for the decoration of the four corners of the box body and feet. The animal images of Gai Niu mainly include birds, monkeys, bears, etc., the four corners of the box body are mainly decorated with capu-tailed reptiles, and the feet are mainly decorated with the image of crawling tigers.

The figures are mostly found in foot decorations, but also in a small number as covers. Humanoid feet appeared in the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty, mainly in the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Periods, and in the Western Zhou Dynasty, humanoid foot artifacts were mainly found in the Northwest China, but rarely in the Central Plains and Wuyue regions, and in the Spring and Autumn Period, they were most concentrated in Shandong and also found in Wuyue [23]. For example, the square tripod unearthed in M26 in Liangdai Village, Hancheng, Shaanxi Province, a small tripod is cast in the big tripod, and the big tripod is a naked female slave, kneeling and carrying the body [24].

Artifacts with animal and human figures are also more common in archaeological discoveries, such as Jin Gong Pan, Zizhong Jiang Pan, Standing Bird Human Foot Cylinder, Bird Cover Human Foot Bowl, etc.

(3) Wheel shape system

The earliest wooden carriage in China, found in Yinxu in the late Shang Dynasty, had large two wheels, about 136 cm in diameter [25], and a number of 16 to 20 spokes, most of which were 18 spokes, and a few had more than 20 (Fig. 7). In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the number of horses in front of the carriage increased to four, and one horse was added to the left and right sides of the two serving horses, that is, a cart of horses; in addition, the detailed structure of the carriage was also improved, and the spokes were increased, which were 22 or even 24 spokes, and the diameter of the two wheels was not much different from that of the late Shang period.

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig.7 Wheel restoration of M1613 in the western area of Yinxu, Anyang[26]

From the late Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Spring and Autumn Period, it was a mature period for the development of bronze technology, and at that time it was already possible to skillfully use casting methods such as mud casting, sub-casting, casting and jointing, as well as a variety of decorative techniques such as Yin line carving, bas-relief, high-relief, round carving, openwork carving, etc., and it was not technically difficult to cast a copper square box with more than 16 spoked wheels in the style of China's local horse-drawn carriage. For example, a bronze carriage of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty unearthed at the Laolongtou site in Yanyuan, Sichuan Province, with three wheels and 16 spokes per wheel, is one of the earliest physical models of three-wheeled carriages found in China. This suggests that it may not be a technical reason that caused the wheels of the Zhou Dynasty copper square box to be cast only 8 or 10 spokes.

In short, the horse-drawn carriage in the mainland was a two-wheeled car at the beginning, with more than 16 spokes, and the current found wheeled box is mostly four-wheeled, except for the 10 spokes in the box in the Poly Museum, the rest are 8 spokes, obviously this shape is not taken from the Chinese local carriage.

1. Spokes

From a global perspective, horse-drawn carriages can be divided into three main systems, namely the Mediterranean system, the West Asian system, and the South Russian system [27].

The Mediterranean system is a light combat vehicle, the main characteristics are small wheels, low body, small vehicle space, pay attention to speed and mobility, distributed in Egypt, ancient Greece, Rome, etc. Egyptian chariots basically inherited the characteristics of Sumerian chariots, with simple construction, light bodies, mostly one chariot and two horses, two-wheeled [28], and the number of spokes was four-, six-, and eight-spoked. The reliefs in the temple of Abydos show Pharaoh Ahmose driving a chariot with four spokes, the chariot excavated from the tomb of Thutmose IV depicts Thutmose IV fighting the Hittites with eight spokes, and the number of spokes in the time of Amenhotep III changed to six, after which the other two types of spokes did not appear again, such as the chariot of Seti I depicted in the relief of the temple of Karnak (fig. 8)[29] and at least six carriages buried in Tutankhamun's tomb [30]. Greek chariots from the 9th century BC to the 6th century BC were profoundly influenced by the light chariots of Egypt, with small wheels, few spokes, and cramped chariots, which could only carry one or two people per stand. The Roman chariots were both relatively late in appearance and use, but were also influenced by Egyptian and Greek chariots [31].

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig. 8 Chariot of Seti I in relief from the Temple of Karnak, Egypt (6 wheel spokes)[32]

The West Asian system is a heavy chariot with large wheel diameter, high body and heavy strength, which can carry 2-3 people and has 6 or 8 spokes, and the Hittite chariot, Assyrian chariot, Persian chariot and Iranian chariot all belong to this system. Judging from the time and the shape of the carriage, it is likely that the Assyrian chariot developed from the Hittite chariot. Archaeological evidence shows that the Hittite chariot could accommodate three people, each with a division of labor: a charioteer, a spearman, and a shield bearer[33]. The basic shape of the Assyrian chariot was a single-wheeled, rectangular chariot with two wheels, drawn by two horses, with the doors behind the hull and the wheels at the ends.

Early chariots were low, with short bodies and small wheel diameters with 6 spokes, mainly used in the Nasilpa era in 900 BC. The late chariots belonged to the era of Sargon II, Shinahrib and Ashurbanipal and were taller overall, with longer bodies and some more than 8 spokes. In the Lion Hunt series of reliefs excavated from the ruins of the palace of King Banipal in Nineveh, Iraq, the chariot of the Assyrian king is a two-wheeled chariot with six spokes (Fig. 9, 1). Chariots and cavalry were an important part of the powerful Persian army, and the Persian chariots inherited and developed the Assyrian chariot[34], with enlarged wheels and more spokes, with eight spokes in the majority and higher chariots (Fig. 9, 2).

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty
Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty
1.6 spoked chariots 2.8 spoked chariot

Figure 9 Assyrian chariots[35]

The main feature of the combat vehicle of the South Russian system is the multi-spoked wheel. The horse-driven two-wheeled chariot was an important invention of the Eurasian steppe, and the two-wheeled chariot used by the Sintashta-Petrovka crowd was much lighter than the previous four-wheeled chariot, the wheels were solid wood structure, and later developed into a multi-spoke structure, and there were guardrails on the front and left and right sides of the carriage to facilitate the driver's hold, and this light chariot could travel quickly on the battlefield under the traction of horses. The Sintashta culture (2999-2000 BCE) is a remnant of the early 2000 BC in the South Ural region of the Eurasian steppe, in which the world's earliest horse-drawn wheel-spoke chariot was found, and the number of spokes has been restored to 12 (Fig. 10) [36].

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig.10 Restoration of the multi-spoke chariot of the Sintashta culture[37]

The two-wheeled chariot with multiple spokes was later introduced to China through the northern steppe tribes, which directly influenced the shape of the carriage in the Yin Shang period. The horse-drawn carriage found in Maojiaping, Gangu, was painted with various animal figures on the outside of the carriage, all outlined with thick lines and filled with small dots inside, which was influenced by the Central Asian steppes [38]. In the process of learning horse-drawn carriages, China also made some new inventions, such as the use of the "yoke tying method", which was gradually replaced by the "chest strap tying method" after the Han Dynasty, and later changed to the "saddle strap tying method"[39], and the invention of the chariot in China.

The shape of the 8 spokes of the wheeled copper square box is similar to that of the chariots of the Mediterranean system and the West Asian system, and the width of the teeth is also relatively close, while the South Russian system is a multi-spoke chariot around the 21st century BC, so the shape of the 8 spokes of the wheeled copper square box should be influenced by the image of the chariot of the Mediterranean and West Asian systems.

2. Four-wheeled vehicles

Four-wheeled vehicles were found in early cultures in the Eurasian steppe, the Lianghe River Valley, and the South Russian steppe, and between about 3400 and 3000 BC, wheeled vehicles appeared in four different media: the written symbols of the four-wheeled carriage, the two-dimensional images of the four-wheeled carriage and the two-wheeled carriage, the three-dimensional model of the four-wheeled carriage, and the preserved wooden wheels and components of the four-wheeled carriage [40]. A pottery cup with a four-wheeled chariot motif was unearthed in the settlement of Bronossi in southern Poland (Fig. 11, 1), a clay tablet with a four-wheeled chariot symbol was found in the Inanna temple area of Uruk on the Mesopotamian Plain (Fig. 11, 2), and a pottery cup shaped like a four-wheeled carriage was unearthed from a tomb in the late Baden culture (Fig. 11, 3). More than 250 burials with carts from late 4000 BC to early 2000 BC have been found in the Ukrainian and Southern Russian steppes, including four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles (Fig. 12) [41]. The mosaics excavated from the tomb of your (around the 26th century B.C.) depict four-wheeled chariots (Fig. 13).

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Figure 11 Four-wheeled vehicle pattern and model[42]

1. Four-wheeled bicycle pattern on the Blonosita pottery cup in southern Poland (3500-3350 BC)

2. The symbol of the four-wheeled carriage on the clay tablet of the Inanna temple area of Uruk (3200-3100 BC)

3. Four-wheeled pottery cups in the shape of four-wheeled carts unearthed from late Baden tombs (3300-3100 BC)

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig. 12 The well-preserved four-wheeled carriage in the Kuban River basin in southern Russia (c. 3300-2900 BC)[43]

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty
Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty
1 2

Fig. 13 Infantry of your on an expedition on a mosaic excavated from the tomb of your (around the 26th century BC)[44]

The solid wheels of the four-wheeled vehicle gradually evolved into spoked wheels, and there were variations in the number of spokes. The Hallstatt culture is an early iron culture in Western and Central Europe, belonging to the Celtic culture, which lasted from about 1000 BC to about 450 BC. A ceremonial carriage from the 7th century BC was unearthed with numerous figures and animals, with a basic structure of four wheels, each with eight spokes.

The bronze sculpture "Cybele and its lion chariot" in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum is a work from the Roman era in the 2nd century AD [45] . The worship of Silbele, the great mother goddess of Asia Minor, appeared in Phrygia in central Anatolia as early as 1000 BC and was considered the mother of the gods, the goddess of harvest, the goddess of fertility, etc. Introduced by Rome during the Second Punic War, and later widespread in the Roman Empire,[46] the sculpture depicts the goddess Sille holding a bowl in her right hand and a drum in her left hand, dressed in a heavy robe, sitting on a four-wheeled bronze chariot pulled by two male lions, each with seven spokes (Fig. 14).

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig.14 Bronze sculpture of "Silbele and her lion cart"[47]

The existence of the four-wheeled bicycle in the Eurasian steppe, the two river basins, Ukraine and the South Russian steppe for a long time, from 3500 BC to after BC, shows that although it is not the mainstream, it does exist, and has a relatively clear development and change. In contrast, the appearance of four-wheeled vehicles in China is relatively late, and a four-wheeled vehicle with an umbrella was unearthed in the north tomb road of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin, so it is likely that the four-wheeled shape of the Chinese wheel box was influenced by the culture of the central and western parts of the Eurasian steppe and its west.

(4) Summary

The rectangular body of the wheeled box may symbolize the carriage of the carriage, and the ornamentation is a typical decoration of the bronzes in the Central Plains during the Western Zhou Dynasty.

From the perspective of the wheel shape, the characteristics of the 8 spokes are obviously based on the horse-drawn carriage of the Mediterranean system and the West Asian system, and the 10 spokes may be developed on this basis. The shape of the four wheels may have come from the cultures of the western part of the Eurasian steppe and its west.

In short, the shape of the wheeled square box integrates the characteristics of various cultures such as the bronze decoration techniques of the Central Plains in the Western Zhou Dynasty, the spokes of the chariots of the Mediterranean-West Asian system, and the western four-wheeled vehicles, and is the product of cultural exchange.

3. Transmission routes

The introduction of the two factors of eight spokes and four wheels is closely related to the cultural exchange on the Silk Road, but the specific introduction route should be different.

1.8 propagation of spoke shapes

It is believed that the shape spread eastward from the Mediterranean Sea and West Asia to Central Asia, then crossed the Pamir Plateau to the Western Regions of China, and then entered the northwest of the Central Plains Dynasty. Among them, the Central Asian region plays a crucial role in the transmission route. Eight spoke chariots of a later age have been found in Central Asia, such as the golden chariot model from the Oxus Treasure in the Amu Darya Valley, which belongs to the Achaemenid dynasty and is about the 5th-4th century BC. The chariot model was drawn by four horses, with two people in the carriage, the one standing as the coachman, and the seated one wearing an ornate tunic with a striking headdress, and a high status, presumably an official of the Persian dynasty (Fig. 15). A gilded silver plaque with a 3rd century BC idol pattern unearthed from the site of the temple of Ayhanum depicts the goddesses Cybele and Nicole riding a chariot pulled by a lion with eight spokes[48] (fig. 16). These two artifacts testify to the eastward spread of the eight spoked chariots of the Mediterranean-West Asian system.

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig.15 Model of the golden chariot in the Treasure of Oxus[49]

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty
Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty
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Fig.16 Gilded silver ornament with a pattern of a deity unearthed from the site of the Ayhanum Temple[50]

2. The spread of four-wheeled vehicles

Archaeological finds show that four-wheeled carriages began to appear in the western part of the Eurasian steppe from around 4500 BC and continued until after BC, and underwent a relatively complete evolutionary process, that is, the transition from solid wheels to less-spoked wheels and then to multi-spoke wheels.

The discovery of the four-wheeled carriage of the Bazerek No. 5 tomb in the Altai region directed the transmission route of the four-wheeled vehicle to the Northern Steppe Road. Between the pit and the coffin of the tomb, a carriage with every part disassembled was found, and it was restored as a well-preserved, true-scale four-wheeled carriage with about 30 spokes, dated to the 5th-4th centuries BC, made of birch, and driven by four horses [51]. However, the wheel's teeth are thinner and cannot run quickly, and it is only suitable for slow progress, so Mr. Lam believes that it belongs to the coffin used in funeral ceremonies (Fig. 17) [52].

Liang Yun and Wang Ning: Discussion on the shape of the copper square box in the Zhou Dynasty

Fig.17 Replica of the carriage from Bazerec Tomb No. 5 (5th-4th centuries BCE)[53]

In addition, the discovery of the remains of the high platform at the Jirentai Goukou site in Nileke, Xinjiang also proves that the transmission route of the four-wheeled vehicle should be the northern grassland road. There are more than 40 pieces of wooden car components at the site, including 11 pieces of solid wood wheels, which should be four-wheeled vehicles from the time of excavation, and the dating results show that they are about 3,500 years old (note: the official excavation results have not been announced, only visible reports in the relevant news, and clear pictures are not available).

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were close cultural exchanges and ties between northern China and the Eurasian steppe. In Shenmu County, Shaanxi Province, a golden statue of a bird's beak standing beast with antlers was found in Nalin Gaotu, which should be Griffin, a fantasy animal that combines birds and beasts, which was once widely popular in the Eurasian steppe region. The mussel carving human head unearthed from the Chen Xizhou complex in Fufengzhao, Shaanxi Province [54], and the human head hook halberd unearthed from Baicaopo in Lingtai, Gansu Province [55], all of which are images with high noses and deep eyes, indicate that the cultural factors or personnel in the central and western parts of the Eurasian steppe in the Western Zhou Dynasty may have reached the northwest region of the Central Plains Dynasty.

IV. Conclusion

The discovered copper square boxes are concentrated in the late Western Zhou Dynasty to the early and middle Spring and Autumn Period, and are mostly found in the tombs of female nobles, mainly used for jewelry boxes and cosmetic boxes, which can be named "椟" or "匵". The origin of the shape is a question worth further studying, its 8 spokes are likely to be influenced by the Mediterranean-West Asia system chariot, should be spread along the desert oasis road, the four-wheeled carriage existed in the western part of the Eurasian steppe and its west area for a long period of time, and the propagation route of its shape is likely to pass through the northern steppe road.

Editor's note: The original text is quoted from Liang Yun and Wang Ning: "Discussion on the Shape of Copper Square Box with Wheels in the Zhou Dynasty", edited by Luo Feng: Archaeology of the Silk Road, Vol. 8, Science Press, November 2023, pp. 28~47. The original text was incorrect and has been revised.

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