The Weapons Of The Late Bashu Cultrue

Late Ba Shu Culture is known mainly from graves. The burial artifacts consist ofabundant bronze weapons with characteristic distinguishing them from other inneighboring regions. Previous study of the weapons of Ba Shu Culture focused on thedivision of patterns and the analysis of designs, however, they trivialized the roles of theweapons buried in the graves. Recently, the plentiful materials from Shifangguan, thoseof several large cemeteries, including the excavation of a large amount of weapons hasmade it possible to do comprehensive research on Ba Shu weapons. The subject of this thesis are weapons unearthed from Ba Shu graves of the WarringStates through Early Han periods. This thesis consists of six parts. In the first section, by gathering materials from ba Shu graves from the WarringStates through Early han periods published in recent years, the author revises theperiodization of graves based on Hong Mei's previous thesis, with aims to classify LateBa Shu Culture. The author also classifies graves not mentioned in Hong's thesis, butborrows, as needed, stages of Late Ba Shu Culture identified by Hong: Early WarringStates, Middle Warring States, Late Warring States, and Qin to Western Han. In the second section, according to differences in the presence-absence of tombfurniture, the author divides the graves of Late Ba Shu Culture into five groups:boat-coffin (death ship) graves, graves with inner wooden coffins, board graves, and pitgraves. This thesis primarily classifies the boat-coffin graves and divides them intotypical and atypical kinds. Moreover, without regard to tomb furniture, the author arrivesat the conclusion that Ba Shu graves of the Middle and Late Warring States period canbe separated into two ranks based on the sizes of pit graves. In the third section, the author discusses in detail four different kinds ofweapons— daggers, dagger-axes, spears, and broadaxes— their features and variationsduring the different periods. The willow-leaf-shaped daggers and the spears throughoutthe Warring States period, are distinctive for their diversified designs. Therefore, thisthesis begins with a consideration of the designs carved into the bodies of the daggers,and the holes drilled into their blades (used for hafting wooden handles). Formalvariation reflects that the function of these two types of weapons— daggers anddagger-axes— were undergoing refinement of design through use in real battle. Thedagger-axes can be divided into three types, each of which have different roles anddifferent phases of use. Among the dagger-axes, the ones that are embellished with tigerdesigns are the most important. Graves containing dagger-axes with tiger motifs alsohave the largest number of other kinds of artifacts. In the Late Warring States period, theportrayals of tiger heads became more delicate. These facts demonstrate that dagger-axeswith tiger designs have a role distinctive from those of other weapons. Throughout the 38Early to Late Warring States periods, the hafting holes of broadaxes get deeper, and theblade bodies thinner. Considering their shape and size, they are unsuitable for use asweapons. Furthermore, the ranks of graves including only broadaxes are comparativelylow. The use of ornamental broadaxes as funerary objects probably emerged during theLate Warring States period. In the forth section, the author expounds on the roles of weapons in Late Ba ShuCulture. During the different phases of Late Ba Shu Culture, the kinds of weaponsinterred with the deceased are relative to the following: whether graves contain anyofferings, the size of graves, and the other artifacts accompanying them. He first ranksare probably typified by Baihuatan, which includes not only a complete set of weaponsbut also bronzes of the Central Plains and Chu Cultures. The occupants of these gravescould have been rulers. Other graves including the third and fourth kinds of...