A Study Of Puyu Culture

This dissertation employs current archaeological methods to conduct an analysis of presently-known archaeological remains of Puyo culture. The study is divided into six chapters as follows.Chapter One first establishes a periodized arrangement of Puyo history, using extant historical records as a foundation, and then determines Puyo's territorial scope and natural geographical environment. Puyo's history can be divided into three periods: the early period, lasting from the early to the late Western Han, which is Puyo's formative period; the middle period, lasting from the Eastern Han until 285, which is the period of Puyo's flourish; and the late period, lasting from 285 until 494, which is the period of Puyo's decline. Puyo's territory during its early period was limited to the valley of the Second Songhua River. During the middle period, its territories reached to the Zhangguangcai mountain range in the east, to the borders of Shuangliao and Da'an in the west, to the Longgang mountain range in the south, and to the Nen and First Songhua rivers in the north. In the late period its territories were limited to the region of the liaoyuan municipality.Chapter Two presents the results of archaeological surveys and excavations of Puyo cultural remains, and also introduces previous scholarly works concerning Puyo, which are divided into those works published in China, and those published elsewhere. Archaeological surveys and excavations of Puyo cultural remains are generally divided into three phases. Chinese studies of Puyo can be divided into two phases. Studies of Puyo outside of China includeprimarily those published in South Korea, North Korea, and Japan. South Korean studies of Puyo commenced in the 1970s and attained to a degree of development after the 1990s. North Korean studies of Puyo have achieved some results since the 1970s. Japanese studies of Puyo commenced in the 1930s.Chapter Three analyzes the specific characteristics of Puyo culture, first by analyzing the spatial and temporal specifics of Puyo culture, and later by analyzing the characteristics of various cultural remains, including walled sites, dwelling sites, burials, and artifacts. Finally, this chapter will analyze Puyo ethnicity and economy. Puyo's temporal scope corresponds generally to the early second century BC to the fourth century AD. The spatial scope of Puyo culture, concentrated on the region of Jilin city, includes the counties and municipalities of Jiaohe, Yongji, Jiutai, Changchun, Shulan, Yushu, Dehui, Nongan, Shuangyang, and Yitong. The majority of remains are concentrated on the Second Songhua, Yinma, and Yitong river valleys. Puyo walled sites can be divided into those built in fiat plains and those built on hilltops. The capital city's defense system is composed of a dual complex of walled towns hi plains and hilltop fortifications, with lines of defense oriented primarily toward die southwest. Walled sites outside of the capital are usually built at the intersections of major transit routes. Dwelling remains can be divided into residential structures and ashpits. Residential structures are typically in the form of semi-subterranean rectangular pits with rounded corners or oblong pits. Dwelling chambers include hearths, stone niches, storage pits, and pestholes. Ashpits include rectangular pits with rounded comers, square pits, oblongs pits, and rounded pits. Burial forms include earthen pit burials, earthen pit with wooden coffin burials, and mounds consisting of mixed earth and rock. Coffins are made primarily of wood, and burial modes include individual burials, twin burials hi a single pit, twin burials hi separate pits, triple burials hi a single pit, and triple burials hi separate pits. All are primary interments, and the position of the corpse is always supine and extended. There is occasionally seen the practice of immolating a horse with burials. According to burial practice and methods, male and female burials are distinguished hi terms of the kind and amount of burial goods. The case of the Laoheshen cemetery i...