A Study On Han Tombs In Sanhe Region

The San-He region mentioned in this research consisted of the commanderies of He-Nan, He-Nei and He-Dong in Han dynasties. This area was important by concerning its political, economic and cultural status. The Han system represents the typical patterns of institution with the ruling of Han dynasty. It could be reflected through the contemporary material culture including distribution of the city, the characteristics of graves, handicraft production technology and product shape, etc. This dissertation will discuss the formation and characteristics of Han system based on graves, the most abundant remains, discovered in San-He region of the Han dynasty as the breakthrough point.This dissertation will run a systematically analysis on the graves concerning its shape and typical objects in the view of the typology. Divide the graves during the Han dynasty in the region into eight stages: the end of the warring states period to the initial western Han dynasty, early western Han dynasty, middle western Han dynasty, late western Han dynasty, Xin-Mang period to initial eastern Han dynasty, the eastern Han dynasty in the early, middle eastern Han dynasty and late eastern Han dynasty. On this basis, make a quantitative analysis of tomb shape and unearthed artifacts to show the age distribution characters of all kinds of remains.Based on characteristics of local graves, the San-he could be divided into three areas which is almost as same as the distribution of districts, three commanderies in this region. Furthermore, the commandery of He-Nan could be subdivided into two areas. Differences between districts is due to the differences of geographical environment and historical background at that time. Differences between districts gradually disappeared as Han system was forming and matured. There is a close relationship between the partition which mentioned above and geographical division at that time. All kinds of partitions are mainly following the territories of the states during the eastern Zhou period. Based on all those mentioned, there were little changes and adjustments to a certain extent. The diverse partitions due to different standards of partition and the deep reason is the difference of social background and institutional system. We need a dialectic thinking of the close connection between a variety of the geographical partitions and partition of tombs. This dissertation will discuss the regionality of tombs according to the graves discovered in San-he of Han dynasty. I think the research of regional tombs should be strengthened and enhanced by focusing on the historical facts and specific political background of the society at that time.Through the study of spatial distribution of tombs and the and the site location, changing of funeral objects and burial space evolution in content, we could know that Han system in San-He area formed in the later middle of the western Han dynasty and matured in the late western Han dynasty, the signs of its formation are the following: Firstly, the spatial distribution of graveyard by focusing on gradually spread to the surrounding around the site. Secondly, the burial space set up had become more manorial. Thirdly, what the tombs buried with was from ritual objects to living items. Fourthly, it became normal that one couple buried in one tomb. The Fifth, To worship ancestors behind the grave was very common in small and medium-sized tombs. It is social economy, political system and ideology and culture that have an important role on the formation of the Han system. Social economy is the direct embodiment of social productivity, which impact on the formation of Han system is the most fundamental. Political system and social thought is the inevitable phenomenon which is formed by the productivity development, thus for the formation of a new system of material culture are more direct.The great tradition and the little tradition in the archaeological studies include two meanings: On one hand, the great tradition represents the material culture created by upper social class, while the little traditional represents underclass; On the other hand, the great tradition represents the subjectivity of the national culture, but the little tradition refers to regional culture characteristics within the national territory. Han system is a great tradition, of which most factors first appeared in the upper class and the little tradition formed by lower class had supplied it. The great tradition and the little tradition coexist for a long time in Han dynasty, there is reciprocal transformation under the specific historical conditions.