The Warring States Chu Tombs System Research

Chu state of the Warring State period has entered a new period, which development boundaries expand on the footprint of people of Chu to the border, also left a large number of tombs. In Warring State period, in addition to the contents of the Burial system of Chu tomb inherited characteristics of the Spring and Autumn Period, there are some new features. Therefore, based on the Chu Tomb classification, it is necessary that reanalysis of the burial system of Chu state in the Warring States period, and the combination of social development background and the Warring States period, a better understanding of the development of the social history of the state of Chu in the Warring States period.Chu tombs of the Warring States period now founded, the category is very wide. Although there have different views on the classification criteria of the Chu Tomb, largely on two fronts, first, focus on the scale, second, Focus on coffins and funerary objects. With the increase in the number and burial in a new situation arises of Chu tomb, the classification of Chu tomb should be established on the basis of the comprehensive literature and archaeological. Therefore, the Chu Tombs should be divided into the following categories: King’s tomb, Lord or upper Dafu’s tomb, Lower Dafu’s tomb, Shi’s tomb and the civilian’s tomb.Chu tombs system including aspects of the cemetery system, mound, ramp, Direction, pit shape, the coffin system, buried system, sacrificial objects and chariot pit and tomb construction. There are similarities in the Chu tombs system and the Central Plains burial system, and Chu-tomb’s burial system continues the Zhou’s system and formed local features of Chu state. For each grade tomb, there have some differences in Burial system level, either scale or buried specifications,all reveal the hierarchical which often destroyed, and it is adapted to the frequent transgression of the Warring States period. This reflects the performance of social change and social attitudes in the tombs. To the Warring States period, there have been some new content with Chu-tomb’s Burial system. Namely:the Bamboo Slips and Tomb-guard Beast buried in tomb, Began to have tomb construction. The Bamboo Slips now we can see mostly from the Chu Tomb that due to the better storage conditions of the Chu Tomb. The level of31tomb unearthed bamboo slips can be divided into Lord or upper Dafu’s tomb, Lower Dafus tomb and Shi’s tomb. The contents of the Bamboo Slips include divination and sacrifice, Qian Ce(the record about gifts for the funeral), documents, notes and date book. There is a certain correlation in Bamboo shape and burial grade, the length of the Bamboo in the high-grade tomb is generally greater than it in the low-grade tomb. Less of architectural traces of the tomb can now see, the tomb construction showing two forms, first, the housing construction; the second is a walled canal. Chu-tomb’s Burial system showed the tendency of life. Due to the vast distances and Centuries of foreign expansion of Chu stat, The people of Chu brought Chu-tomb’s style to the region opening and absorb the Local funeral customs, this add the regional characteristics to Chu-tomb’s burial system.The Chu-tomb’s burial system in Warring State period reflects the concepts of Immortality of the soul and believe in Witchcraft and Ghosts, and while reflecting the change of Chu society that from emphasis on Patriarchal clan system to pay attention to single-family. The regional of Chu-tomb’s burial system reflects the continued pace of foreign expansion of Chu state over the centuries and the absorption and integration of the Chu culture to other cultural factors.