| Qin and Han Dynasty is a very important period in the history of Three Gorges area. Qin conquered Ba at 316BC and set up Zillah and County System soon later. So, Three Gorges area is one of the first areas of practicing this political system. During the process of Western Han' s establishment and solidification, Three Gorges area is one of the most important bases of material supply and soldier source. Under the ruling of Qin and Han Dynasties, the social structure, economic standard, thought and culture in this area had changed dramatically. But for the lack of historical data, we know little about these changes. So, it is very necessary to research the rich survivals of materials, especially tombs of Qin and Han Dynasties.With the building of key water control works in Three Gorges area, we have gained great achievements in archaeological project. A lot of invaluable relics and materials had been unearthed. Till now, more than 400 tombs of all kinds, all periods and all areas have been officially reported. So, we have the basic data to carry out integrated research now.By comparing both tomb' shape and burial articles, we divide all the Qin and Han tombs of Three Gorges area into four periods: Among them, the third and fourth period each can be divided into three stages. The first period is about Qin Dynasty, the secondperiod early Western Han Dynasty, the three stages of the third period are middle Western Han, late Western Han and about Xin Dynasty respectively. The three stages of the fourth period are early, middle and late Eastern Han respectively. The periods and stages' cultural visage comes down in one continuous line; so, their ages are continuous too.From Qin to Han, the burial rites in Three Gorges area are changing in many aspects.Before early Western Han Dynasty, the graveyards were usually located in level terrace. But from then on, they moved to the sloping field gradually. In Eastern Han Dynasty, most tombs had been on the sloping fields. This process is very evident in the west of Three Gorges area. At the same time, graveyards also change quietly: the number was increasing, but the dimension was diminishing. Furthermore, the' inner part of graveyards was divided into groups gradually. According to the evolvement of the graveyard structure, this kind of phenomenon may have relation with the formation of the household graveyard. Some graveyards and some tombs of a graveyard belong to a household, such as Shuangyantang graveyard and some tombs in Qianping graveyard.There are two kinds of couple burials in Three Gorges area: different cave and same cave. The first kind is seldom found in Three Gorges area, and replaced by the second kind after mid-Western Han Dynasty. But the custom of burying couple in one cave is not popular during Han Dynasty. Multiple burials appeared in mid-Western Han, too. Based on the archaeological discoveries, we guess that these multiple burials included husband, wife and concubines at first, and then developed to several generationsof a family. The way of several generations' burials is popular in Eastern Han Dynasty. Sometimes, even more than 10 persons were buried in one cave.The structure of tomb was continuously changing too. Before Eastern Han Dynasty, the rectangular soil (stone) pit tomb was popular, but the pit tombs with a passage were seldom seen. These tombs mostly have the characteristics of shaft and hermetic structure, so they belong to the closing tomb (WfflSl!). In Eastern Han Dynasty, the brick (stone) chambered tomb with a tomb passage or vaulted passage is the most familiar form, which has a very evident characteristic: a transverse passage to link the chamber and the outside. So this kind of tombs belongs to opening tomb (^PfiSis) ? Opening tomb taking the place of closing tomb is a huge change of burial custom.The head direction and cave direction were changing along with the tomb structure. The closing tombs of Three Gorges were usually located in flat field or soft sloping field, and usually paralleling with the sloping field. However, the opening tombs are often on the sloping field, with doors facing down the slope. This is the intrinsic request during its change from closing tomb to opening tomb.Along with the changing of tomb structure, the system of coffin is changing, too. First, the outer coffin (Guo) wall moved to the tomb wall, then disappeared about in Xin Dynasty. At the same time, the inner coffin (Guan) is moving from the center to the side or corner of chamber or outer coffin. So there is a roomy special space to place the burial materials. Then the place of burial materials transferred from around the tomb owner to the tomb door. This leads to the separation of burial space and burialmaterials space. In early Eastern Han Dynasty, the assembled sacrifice tools appeared, and they are usually near the door.This made the door around a sacrifice place.Through comparing archaeological culture in Three Gorges areas with that of Guanzhong and Luoyang districts, which were political, economic and cultural centers during the Qin and Han Dynasties, we could know the cultural exchanges between them as well as the progress of the burial customs in the Three Gorges areas being influenced by them. This actually is how the Han System was established in these regions.We can inquire it from six aspects: 1. The lavish funeral, 2. The kin, couple and multiple burials, 3. The tombs of opening style replace the closing ones, 4. The sacrifice space of inner and outer tombs, 5. Funeral objects replace the ritual ones 6. Tomb decorations reflecting the tomb owners ascending to the heaven.There are two same topics reflected in these six aspects: one is the filial piety, and the other is the pursuing immortality. After the middle of the West Han Dynasty, in the Three Gorges areas there appeared the lavish burials, couple burials and multiple burials. Among the burial objects, bronze and pottery utensils such as jars, bowls, Zeng, basins, Xi, kettles and the assemblage of the granary, the kitchen range and the well models became prevailing. The ritual wares assemblage of the Ding, He and Hu, and weapons such as swards, lances, crossbows have already disappeared. Besides that, kin and mass burials were gradually prevailing. Tombs with opening character replaced that with closing character and became the main stream of burial forms. The ritual spaces of inner and outer burials have been established at large. The ritual ware assemblage such as the Er Bei(cups), An(tables), plates and chopsticks appeared. The pottery models such as figurines, livestock, patronal animals, houses and ponds were in prevalence. The inner decorations of tombs like pictorial stone coffins, bronze plates of coffins and decorated tomb bricks were also popular. Therefore in the East Han Dynasty the Han System had more developments and became mature in the Three Gorge areas.In a comprehensive view, the progress of the Han System being established in the Three Gorge areas has following four characteristics: 1. Imbalance. Namely the processes of the Han System factors of all kinds being accepted were different.2. Regional differences. The process in different regions is varied: the east fastest, the west slower and the middle slowest.3. Rank differences. The higher the tomb' s owners in social status were and the richer they were, the faster they accepted, and the lower, the slower. 4.Selectivity. The culture in the Three Gorge areas accepted roughly all factors of the Han System, but according to the exact details it was selective, and some imported factors were adapted. Just this point led to its characteristics afterward and became one regional type of the Han Culture.
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