Research On The Western Zhou Period Burials In The Jing River Valley

The Jing River Valley mainly refers to the eastern part of the Gansu Province and the northern part of the Shanxi Province.Since the 1960 s,many tombs from the Western Zhou period have been found in the region of the Jing River Valley.It is important to note that the previous research about the cemeteries of the Western Zhou period in this area primarily concentrate on a single site or a part of this region,and no systematic research on the whole drainage basin had been carried out so far.The present research first thoroughly collects the relevant archaeological materials coming from the cemeteries of the Western Zhou period in this region.Then,the author reviews the chronology of some of the most controversial tombs,thus establishing a new chronology of the Western Zhou period tombs in this region divided into three periods.Furthermore,in order to get a deeper knowledge of these burials,this research focuses on the analysis of the following characteristics of the tombs: shape,structure,funeral coffin,disposition of the deceased,direction of the tombs,and sacrificial practices.On the basis of this multi-criteria typology,the tombs of the Western Zhou period in the Jing River Valley are divided into four classes.The author then precisely defines the main characteristics of each category of tombs during each stage of the Western Zhou period.On this basis,this research further discusses the cultural elements of the pottery and the bronze wares from the burials during each period.Finally,the author tries to shed light on the composition of the ethnic groups during the Western Zhou period,as they can be seen in the archaeological data of the burials of the Jing River Valley.This leads to a clearer understanding of the way the Western Zhou Dynasty governed the region of the Jing River Valley and shed a new light on the significant role of this area in the rise and decline of the Western Zhou Dynasty.