Qin Traveling Sacrificial Victims System Is A Preliminary Study

Burying the pit of chariots and horse or the decorations of chariots and horses is a burial system. During the Shang period and Zhou period, we can always found the chariots and horses in the burial of noble. The pits of chariots and horses mark the rank or status of the owner, and more exalted the owner is, more the chariots and horses.Based on the comprehensive information, this article describes the evolvement course of the system of burying chariots and horses and the reason of the change. In order to achieve it, the author must refer to a lot of literature and analyses the excavation carefully.The earliest burial of chariots and horses was excavated in Yinxu. Most of the burials are pits of chariots and horses; others are the decorations of chariots and horses. Normally, the pit of chariots and horses include a chariot and two horses. But the majority pits were excavated in Yinxu. The system of burying the pits of chariots and horses of Shang period is the beginning of Chinese burying the chariots and horses. Burying of chariots and horses in Zhou period is from the burying of Shang period. But the burying of chariots and horses in Zhou period present some new characteristics. Fist the number of pits of chariots and horses is more than Shang period. Second, in Fengxi, Luoyang, Linzi, Beijing, we excavated pits of chariots and horses. And as the sign of rank the pits of chariots and horses present clearly. In the early Xizhou period chariots and horses are placed together, and in the late Xizhou period the chariots are disconnected parts. In spring an autumn period, burying pits of chariots and horses is more prevalent. Pits of chariots and horses are multifarious such as oblong, square and "T" . In the pits of chariots and horses appear sunk fence that block off the chariots and the horses. This means chariots and horses begin to separate. In the warring states period, the pits of chariots and horses become fewer. In the different area there are different pits of chariots and horses. In the other hand, the model chariots and horses are buried instead of the chariots and horses. In some tombs of vassals in Xihan dynasty, some pits of chariots and horses are excavated. Soon, burying chariots and horses disappear, because the archon thinks it luxurious.Chapter one is tell you the excavation about the pits of chariot and horses and chariot fittings and the achievement on this subject. In order to understand the burying of chariots and horses, the chapter two introduces some burials, which excavated chariots and horses. Chapter three and chapter four describe the evolvement course of the system of burying chariots and horses and the reason of the change. The epilogue summarizes chapter one to four and points out the limitation and shortcoming of this article.