Research On Neolithic Anthropomorphic Figurines In The Upper And Middle Yellow River

Anthropomorphic figurine is a special subject matter of the material remains of prehistoric period in China,and it exhibits prehistoric residents' self-consciousness,religious belief,aesthetic taste and other ideas in spiritual field.In this paper,I choose Neolithic anthropomorphic figurines unearthed from the upper and middle Yellow River as my study objects to conduct a primary research that includes problems concerning the discoveries,classification,spatial and temporal distribution,cultural meanings,regional characteristics,etc.The paper is divided into six parts.Part I:Introduction.The purpose of this part is to introduce the research background,define the time and spatial frame,review the archaeological discoveries and related researches of Neolithic anthropomorphic figurines,and explain the theory and methodology used in this paper.Part II:Classification and the Characteristic of Anthropomorphic Figurine.In this part,Neolithic Anthropomorphic figurines in the upper and middle Yellow River are divided into four types according to their differences in materials and morphological characteristics.Part III:Spatial and Temporal Distribution.The distribution of anthropomorphic figurines changed significantly during Neolithic Period,in this part,I am aiming to figure out the characteristics of spatial distribution in different phases.Part IV:The Explanations of Cultural Meanings.To discuss the cultural meaning,typical anthropomorphic figurines are selected and combined with historical records,anthropological and ethnological materials to analyze.It is can be seen that the Neolithic anthropomorphic figurines in the upper and middle Yellow River has three basic functions,which are symbolizing the concept of life and death,serving as religious rituals and expressing worship of reproduction.To a certain extent,these functions are influenced by foreign cultures.Part V:The Regional Characteristics.Two major regions are discussed in this part:domestic and abroad.The comparison of domestic regions is to compare the Neolithic anthropomorphic figurines discovered from upper and meddle Yellow river with those unearthed from lower Yellow River,zones along the Yanshan Mountains and the middle and lower Yangtze River.And foreign comparison objects are the early anthropomorphic figurines from Western and Central Asian countries.By comparing these regions,we can have a better understanding of the characteristics of anthropomorphic figurines of the upper and middle Yellow River.Part VI:Conclusion.Main conclusions and some problems are presented in this chapter.