| As a literature carrier, bronze and stone had existed in the pre-Qin period. The epigraphy,as a subject, formed in the Song Dynasty, but the collection, cataloging and utilization of literature of bronze and stone inscription had_began before the Song Dynasty. The scholars not only collected and recorded inscriptions on ancient bronzes and stone tablets, but also use it to textually researches historical materials, which saved a large number of inscriptions on ancient bronzes and stone tablets and accumulated rich experience on epigraphic research. It provide an necessary condition to the appearance of the sphragistics in the Northern Song Dynasty, and also to the Shui Jing Zhu recorded inscriptions on ancient bronzes and stone tablets provide some materials and experience.Shui Jing Zhu was wrote by Li Daoyuan in the Northern Wei Dynasty,40volumes, more than three hundred thousand words. The book makes some supplemental notes to Shui Jng and description of the national river system and related anecdotes. To support him thesis, Li Daoyuan also quoted large number of stone literature other than books literature, the number more than350species, including inscriptions on precipices, stone tablet, inscriptions on boundary stone, stone relief, inscriptions on building and so on. The content is extremely rich, built on water conservancy project, the transportation, the temple and ancestral hall, recorded historical events, figures campaign, boundaries and classic book, also praised god’ s grace. The rich stone inscriptions quoted by Li Daoyuan provide lots of materials for scholars’ epigraphy research. Some academics have been compiled stone literature cited by Shui Jing Zhu, such as Li Shi wrote by Hong Kuo, The Tablet Directory Quoted by Shui Jing Zhu writted by Yang Shen, Shui Jing Zhu Bei Lu wrote by Shi Zhecun, Shui Jing Zhu Jin Shi Lu wrote by Chen Qiaoyi and so on. But due to the problem of existence of collation with Shui Jing Zhu, the compilation work is far from finish, some stone literature was still omitted by academics and need compilation supplement. Li Daoyuan use some unique description mode and method to record stone literature. For example, describing the inscriptions shape and preservation condition when record stone literature; when excerpt inscriptions, sometimes take passages the part of inscriptions, sometimes take passages all inscriptions; writings reason on stone building, the period of stone building and relevant stories; using stone inscriptions to textual research the error of historical record, it have great influence on later scholars to put down in writing stone inscriptions. In addition, the species of carved stone recorded by Shui Jing Zhu is very much, such as water conservancy project^road traffic, cities, place name, classic book, history events and temples. This historical data can be used to supplement the lack of historical records, to help archaeological excavation, what is more, this stone inscriptions conserve many folk historical data and ancient geographic data. Therefore, the stone inscriptions quoted by Shui Jing Zhu have great literature value and textual value. Besides, Li Dao yuan quote stone inscriptions saw in person to textual research error recorded by the history book. He have own unique research method on epigraphy, and the spirit of seeking truth from facts can be served as a model learned by all academics.Shui Jing Zhu is not epigraphy work strictly, but its record lots of stone literature, mulriple types, rich content, uniquely recording method provides an example for stone literature record later, In this sense, the Shui Jing Zhu is an epigraphy work, summing up epigraphic research activities before Northern Wei Dynasty and make the necessary preparations for the formation of epigraphy in the Northern Song Dynasty. |
