Research On Pottery Ovens Excavated In The Tombs Of Han Dynasty

As one of the most common funerary objects among the tombs during the western and eastern Han Dynasties, a large number of pottery ovens were unearthed all over the country. To write this article, I collect more than 1500 pottery ovens all parts of the country and make a systematic study on them. The article can be divided into four parts. Part 1, introduction. In this part the academic significance of the subject, the review of the previous study and current situation, research method are discussed. Part 2 applies the typology theory to contrast and range the collected pottery ovens, then, links with the shape of the tombs and the characteristics of the attendant potteries, coins, and bronze mirrors to infer their emerging and popular periods. In part 3, those pottery ovens were zoned into different areas. Further more, analysis the historical background, custom and habits and religions based on the characteristics of pottery ovens in each area. Part 4 expounds on the reasons why pottery ovens are so popular in the Han Dynasty. The preliminary reason is the popularity of the feudal ownership of land and Kitchen God Worshipping. Besides, this part also discusses the relationship between the pottery ovens and the graves of couples, of families. There is a great change in the institution of multi-burial during the western Han Dynasty, especially co-burial in one grave. Almost every co-burial tombs only unearths one pottery oven, which accounts for the lifestyle of extended families living together. The hearth in real life is the prototype of pottery ovens which were made to express people's thoughts of Kitchen God Worshipping, deifying and totem. In the conclusion, stressing the main point of the article:the feature of Han culture is variety-in-unity. Pottery ovens excavated across the country shows the unity of Han culture and the different styles of pottery ovens in each area proves the variety.