The Early Shang Bronzes Stage Research, And Regional Types

The bronze vessels of early Shang dynasty are not only very important part of early Shang dynasty culture, but also microcopying of the current time society. They came from the bronze vessels of Xia dynasty culture and developed to the bronze civilization of middle and advanced stages of Shang dynasty. So it is very significant to study early Shang dynasty bronze vessels.Many scholars always are subject investigation in the brozne studies of early shang dynasty , and obtain many more achievements. But because of lack of materials, the studies of period and region types are not enough, especially lack of system theories and methods. Based of these reasons and those scholars studies, according the new materials, we maily study the follows three questions:Firstly, the periodization of no inscription bronzes. Generally thought, to the periodization of no inscription bronzes, binding the typology and stratigraphic geology are still the best methods. But the bronzes embody many ages, and the relics of bronzes are very complexity, so that methods are not so simple as pottery, we think, based on differ correctly the casting age, the used age and the burial age of bronzes, and to detail study the relics connotative meaning, it could more effective to bind the typology and stratigraphic geology. Then comprehensive analysising the bronzes models and relic ages, we summarize the period stage and the each stage bronzes features .Secondly, the studies of periodization. The periodization is not only the first problem, but the foundation of other researches. Connecting the new materials with the pastachievements, we give some new thoughts on bronze periodization.Zhengzhou Shang City, the Bo capital of early Shang, is one center of the archeaologists discovering lots of bronzes. Because of its abundant kinds and typicalness, we select zhengzhou shang relics which reprensitive the early shang bronzes periods. First, by analysising the bronzes molding, texture and casting technique, we study the types of 130 bronzes, and build detail the bronzes periods lines. Second, depending on the clear stratigraphic relation and potteries, we analysis the ages of some relics, such as bronze storage, casting bronze sites and bronze vessels tombs. Then we try to found the time relationship of these relics, as a prove of bronze periodization. Last, based on the above analysis, we devide the bronzes into three periods and five stages. By observing the relations of bronze periodization and pottery periodization, and discussing the relations of bronze development tendency and the ages of Zhengzhou Shang city, we think the first period ,first stage corresponds to pre-shang period; the first period, the second stage to the third period ,the fifth stage corresponds to early shang period. And the second stage is the initiation of zhengzhou shang city; the second stage and the forth stage are prosperity stage of shang; the fifth stage is its developed stage.Last, the studies of region types. Under the effect of culture tradition and geographical conditions, the bronze development presents some region characters. By analyzing the bronze region types under the background of archaeology cultures, we can correctly master its development conditions, and expose the relations of coherent archaeology cultures, which help us understand historic connotative meaning.We try to study the region types of early Shang: first of all, by statistic analysis ofmaterials, we devide the early Shang bronze into three tendencies:l. the enlargement of the center of Zheng zhou Shang city;2.the expansion tendencies at the beginning of the second period ,the third stage of early Shang;3.southern and western are the main expansion directions. Secondly, based on culture factors devide the early Shang bronze into three types: Erligang type of the center plain; Panlongcheng type of Jianghuai river basin; Jinshan type of Fen Wei river basin. Lastly, we presume there is a bigger area out of the three types, where those bronzes' development were effected by those areas, such as Sanxingdui, Xingan and Liujiahe. All in all, the relations between several archaeological cultures connected by early Shang bronzes are the reflections of exchange between early races.Based on the present materials, we have discussed above problems. Because we don not have enough materials and our research ability need to be proved, the results of this article need to be refilled and to be certificated. The research of early Shang bronze vessels is a long-term topic and we must try our best for it.