Steelment System In The Shang Dynasty And Its Social Functions

Steelment System in the Shang Dynasty and Its SocialFunctionsSteelment conformation is an important way to conduct a multilevel research on social conformation by means of archeological materials, and it is playing an increasingly important role in historical and archeological studies. Studying Chinese ancient history, especially that prior to the Zhou and Qin Dynasties by means of steelment conformation, vividly reflects the contemporary living conditions and social structure and gives a complete picture of the then political , economic and cultural aspects , and reflects the then relationship between human life and geographical and ecological environments in a special perspective . The trial attempt has been made for the first time in the dissertation to conduct a systematic research on steelment conformation in the Shang Dynasty in the approach of steelment conformation, under the direction of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, in a sense to reveal a historical transect in the Shang Dynasty. So the thesis is constructive in clarifying the historical outline of the Shang Dynasty since there is scanty documentary evidence for this period. The dissertation falls into five chapters in about 0.3 million words .The first chapter introduces the developing procedure of steelment conformation both at home and abroad , nail downs the studying method and the significance , clarifies some relative concepts, and simply outlines the general picture of the Shang steelment system.The second chapter analyzes and proves the basic conformation and social functions of the Shang center steelment, with materials derived from the three Shang capitals which have got general recognition in the academic scope, namely, Yanshi Shang Capital, Zhengzhou Shang Capital and Yin Ruins. It analyzes the size of the center steelment, its general layout, its palace forms and functions, handicraft industries and its reflection of the Shang social production and population structure in detail, and correspondingly proves its political, economic and cultural functions .The third chapter analyzes and proves the basic conformation and the social functions of the Shang center regional steelment in the same studying approach of the second chapter, with materials derived from the archeologically important steelment sites, such as Huanqu Shang City, Dongxiafeng Shang City, Fucheng of Jiaozuo , Panlong City, Taixi of Haocheng, Dax-inzhuang of Jinan , Laoniupo of Shanxi etc .The fourth chapter analyzes and induces the general conformation of the basic Shang steelment and its subordinate relationship with all levels of center steelments in the Shang steelment system, with basic materials derived from comprehensive surveys of the Shang big villages, small villages in the Yiluo River and the Huanhe River valleys , and along with theoretical support from records about " é‚‘ " on oracle bones, which theoretically analyzes the contributing social factors of the Shang steelment system .The fifth chapter concentrates on the detailed confirmation that the Shang dynamic steelment distribution directly reflects the rise and fall of the Shang culture and its dynastic power, the selective factors for a Shang city steelment , the unity of its multiple social functions , the expansion in the Yangtze River valley of Panlong City and the early Shang regime, and the Shang steelment mode and the political and economic conditions it embodies .The Shang steelment can be divided into four tiers through analysis : national center steelments such as Yanshi Shang Capital, Zhengzhou Shang Capital, Yin Ruins etc . , regional center steelments such as Panlong City, Yuanqu Shang City, Laoniupo, Daxinzhuang, Fucheng of Jiaozu etc . , big villages such as Shaochai of Gongyi, Zhujiaqiao of Pingyin etc . and small villages . Center steelments were the then seats of politics , economy and culture and of reign , where the then materialized power tokens such as power institutions , ceremonial and musical establishments and hierarchy system etc . mingled ,...