The Research For Burried Remains Of Horse In Zhou Dynasty

There is a very usual phenomenon that carriages and horses or horses are used for funerals or sacrifice rituals in the field archaeology in Zhou Dynasty. Some tombs are also found burying with horse heads and limbs, which is called "The Relics of Horse Burial". According to a large number of findings on the relics of horse burial as well as literature, it demonstrates that horses occupy a significant position in the social life during Zhou Dynasty. On the basis of archaeological materials, combining literature, this thesis shows a systematic study on the relics of horse burial to ascertain the general characteristics and evolution rules of it in Zhou Dynasty.The thesis includes five parts:The first chapter is the introduction. It primarily defines "The Relics of Horses Burial" and also gives a brief introduction to the previous academic studies. On the basis of this, it presents researched theories and methods used in this thesis.In accordance with the chronological order and discovered regions. Chapter Two introduces discoveries on the relics of horse burial regarding with which to analyze spatial and temporal characteristic of the relics in Zhou Dynasty:with the development of the times, the number of the relics and discovered regions tend to expand, reaching maximum in Spring and Autumn Period and begin to decline during the Warring States Era.The third chapter researches the relics of horse burial in categories, periods and regions. In accordance with different natures, the relics of horse burial can be divided into two categories on the whole:funerals and sacrificed rituals; on the basis of the classified natures, with different burial forms, the relics can be sorted into three categories:carriage and horse pits, horse pits and specific parts of the horse bone. In the light of different kinds of buried forms, every class relics has pattern divisions according to the different burial forms; chronologically, the relics are divided into four major periods with seven stages; geographically, their distributions have three levels.Chapter Four analyzes relevant issues to the relics of horse burial in Zhou Dynasty from multiple perspectives. It points out the ages and genders of horses selected are various to the purposes of funeral and sacrifice rituals; complying with literature, the thesis holds that three ways exist to access horses for large-scale burial; with "Double Evidence Method", it indicates that institutionalized "Six Horse Carriage for Emperor" does not exist in Zhou Dynasty.The last chapter sums up the main opinions, promoted appropriate conclusions and points out insufficiencies in this thesis. The thesis demonstrates horses in Zhou Dynasty bear three levels:politics, military, national communication and integration. It declares from material lives to spiritual cultures, social lives to political systems and ideas, horses take over a unique significance in Zhou Dynasty.