Research On Customs Of The Shang Dynasty Sacrificing Dog

Shang Dynasty, the second slavery dynasty, occupies an important position in Chinese civilization history. Dog sacrificing is a peculiar custom In the Yin Ruins of Shang Dynasty tombs excavated over the years. Regardless of nobleman or civilians tombs, most tombs could found the end of the bier or coffin under the surface of the dog skeleton. This phenomenon has been discovered a lot of pit dogs such as the palaces, ancestral worship and other construction sites and landfill. This paper basis on the archaeological literature, sacrificing dog practices of the Shang Dynasty and try to explore the customs of the Shang Dynasty Sacrificing dog Transformation and related issues. This paper is divided into six chapters, including the introduction, the type of Sacrificing dog, the way of Sacrificing dog, origins of Sacrificing dog custom and the purpose of Sacrificing dog.This paper argues that the large number of, diverse, rich in content Sacrificing dog custom was the main feature of Shang Dynasty. According to the location and found different occasions, it can be divided into Sacrificing dog of burials, Sacrificing dog of building base and Sacrificing dog of Burial pits. The main methods of Sacrificing dog are divided into living sacrificing and dead sacrificing. The dog head direction and grave goods also have certain regularity. Pre-Shang dynasty is the emergence and development of sacrificing dog custom. The late Shang dynasty is the boom period of sacrificing dog custom. Different forms and occasion martyrs reflected that the purpose and the role of dogs are often vary wildly. Generally, the main aim of sacrificing dog was to offer guard, spirits or other functions. In the tombs, dogs are being apart of being a guard or master's pets. The main methods of sacrificing were in order to facilitate the regulation of according to the tomb to martyrs buried. The numbers and kinds of dog in tomb may show the owner's social ranks and level in Shang dynasty.Sacrificing dog in the late Shang dynasty tombs began to have regional differences. Even in the same area, the form of Sacrificing dog also has some difference in other sites. This kind of phenomenon is result of changes on time and the scope of Shang Dynasty Sacrificing dog customs. Sacrificing dog under construction's bases was not a common exist. It would relate the function of construction or some with ritual. Sacrificing dog of burial pits had appeared in a different occasions. It also has relationship with hierarchy. During the Neolithic and Erlitou period many animal had been buried. But the custom of the Shang Dynasty Sacrificing dog was not a direct absorption of a pre-or both types of the other cultures. The sacrificing phenomena may be a particular and high developed custom in Shang dynasty. It was a product of development of Shang society itself.The popularity of the Shang Dynasty Sacrificing dog custom is top-down to finish. It occupied a important parts in Shang society. the social background of Shang dynasty Sacrificing dog custom was the popularity of Shang dynasty ghosts thought and the funeral concept like "Things death like things born ".