Research On The Source Of Western And Eastern Zhou Bronze Wares Unearthed In Nanyang Basin

Bronze ware occupies a pivotal position in ancient China’s history of civilization.Bronze ware is a witness of thousands of years of Chinese civilization, and is a vitalcarrier of our country’s material civilization and aesthetic of ancient society. So far aframework of the bronze culture temporal evolution of Western Zhou Dynasty andEastern Zhou Dynasty has been constructed. Especially for Zhou Dynasty, thanks to richhistorical and unearthed literatures, this framework is more detailed. However, for acertain region, or a state that the region is represented by in that period, thecharacteristics, development and source of its bonze culture may not be clear. Forexample, the systematic research on the glory of small states like Shen, Ying and Zengin Nanyang basin before Chu culture invasion is unseen. Bronze ware, being the mostimportant material civilization in Shang and Zhou period, constitutes the principle partof Shang and Zhou cultural research. Bonze ware itself represents the characteristics ofelite class and can reflect multiple aspects and levels of history and civilization.Nanyang basin was basically Chu’s territory after Chu annexed Ji states near Han River,being an important region under Chu government. Having been controlled or affectedpolitically, bronze ware became a vital strategic resource. This article analyzes, throughmanufacturing process, shapes, ornamentation and inscription, whether ancient Shenand ancient Ying under Chu culture control were capable manufacturing bronze ware,and discusses the source of bronze wares in this region.Six parts are included in this research. Chapter1is the introduction, whichdiscusses the range of time and space in this article, introduces the methods duringresearch combining with previous researches, and defines the object and existingproblems. Chapter2briefly introduces the bronze wares unearthed in Nanyang Basin bybronze ware groups. Chapter3defines the periods of bronze wares in this regionaccording to the combination of bronze ware type, periodical characteristics of shapeevolution, and the feature of the inscription. Chapter4and5divides the bronze wares,based on the basis of Chapter3, into two systems: Zhou culture system and Chu culturesystem. The source of bronze ware under Zhou culture system and Chu culture systemare discussed through type combination, shape, ornamentation, manufacturing technique,inscription and observation of phrase examples. Chapter6is the conclusion.The enfeoffment system of Zhou Dynasty makes bronze wares grouped by states.Cultural individuality represents independence. Whether or not the states occupied byChu manufactured bronze wares independently should be judged by its individuality ofbronze culture. With the absence of ruins such as workshops, independence analysis through ornamentation, manufacturing process, shape, and so on is also an effectiveapproach.