Research On The Sacrificial Remains From The Late Longshan To Erlitou Period In Songshan Area

The period from the late Longshan to Erlitou is the period of the formation and development of the Xia ethnic group.It is also an important stage for China to move from the primitive society to the early state,and occupies an important position in Chinese history.Sacrificial remains are the products of people’s sacrificial activities and valuable information reflecting people’s social life.Based on the relevant archaeological findings,combined with literature materials,ethnological materials and folklore materials,this paper uses the methods of archaeological stratigraphy,archaeological typology,statistics and comparative analysis to study the sacrificial remains from the late Longshan period to Erlitou period in Songshan area.On the basis of determining the criteria of all kinds of sacrificial remains,this paper identifies the sacrificial remains in each stage,and discusses the cultural connotation of all kinds of sacrificial remains,the source and evolution of sacrificial remains,and the relationship between sacrificial remains and the social life of Xia ethnic group.This paper consists of six chapters:The first chapter is the introduction.Firstly,the concepts of "Songshan area","late Longshan to Erlitou period" and "sacrificial remains" are defined.Then it introduces the relevant research history and current situation of the academic circles,and expounds the purpose,significance and methods of the research.The second chapter is the research on the criteria and discovery of sacrificial remains.According to the different sacrificial sites,the sacrificial remains are divided into six categories: altar sacrificial remains,pit sacrificial remains,palace sacrificial remains,architectural construction related sacrificial remains,manual production related sacrificial remains,mountain and river sacrificial remains.Then the judgment criteria of each category are determined,and the sacrificial remains of each stage are identified and counted according to the criteria.The third chapter is the research on the cultural connotation of all kinds of sacrificial remains.From the aspects of morphological characteristics,sacrificial methods,sacrificial objects,time and space characteristics,different types of sacrificial remains have different cultural connotations.The fourth chapter is the research on the origin and evolution of sacrificial remains.Through the comparative analysis with the local and surrounding earlier sacrificial remains,it is considered that the palace sacrificial remains,the pit sacrificial remains,the architectural construction related sacrificial remains and the palace sacrificial remains may all originate from the local,while the other three types of sacrificial remains may come from outside the local.The sacrificial remains from the late Longshan period to Erlitou period in Songshan area are the result of inheriting the local early sacrificial remains,widely absorbing the sacrificial cultural factors of the surrounding areas,and then continuously developing and innovating.The evolution of its cultural features is characterized by the increasing number and variety,and the strengthening of hierarchical differentiation.The fifth chapter is the research on the relationship between sacrifice remains and the social life of the Xia ethnic groups.Combined with the previous research and related archaeological and literature data,it is considered that the sacrificial remains from the late Longshan period to Erlitou period in Songshan area are an important part of Xia ethnic culture,which are closely related and interact with each other.The spiritual belief objects of the Xia ethnic group have been increasing with the development of the times,and there may be differences between local beliefs and foreign beliefs.There are many ways for the Xia people to practice their beliefs,some of which are common in all kinds of sacrificial activities,and some of which depend on the nature of the sacrificial objects or the frequency of sacrificial activities.The Xia people are very respectful to the gods they believe in.They are considerate in offering sacrifices and rituals,and serve the gods as well as the people.Sacrifice in the social life of Xia ethnic group,on the one hand,has a positive role in promoting,on the other hand,excessive sacrifice activities may also cause harm.Chapter six is the conclusion.Which summarizes the research conclusion of the whole paper.