The publication and ongoing research of the Chu bamboo slips,such as those discovered at the Baoshan and Xincai sites,have revealed that dog sacrificial ritual existed in the Chu culture.Through juxtaposing a textual analysis of related sacrificial records in Chu bamboo slips with related literature research and archaeological discoveries,this article further clarifies the content and specific rites of the dog sacrificial ritual in the Chu state.The authors point out that the phenomenon of using dog for road offering and door offering existed in the Shang period shows a high extent of similarity with the context,background,and specific rites revealed by the dog sacrificial ritual in the Chu culture.Also,the grammatic structures of dog sacrificial records in bamboo slips mirror oracle bones divination records.These patterns indicate that the Shang dog sacrificial rituals might have been an important origin for the dog sacrificial rituals in the Chu culture.
Cupstone is a kind of stone tools commonly found in prehistoric South China.However,no consensus has yet been reached regarding the using methods and their function.This paper casts new lights on the issue based on the large quantity of cupstones that were unearthed from the Zengpiyan cave site in Guilin.Through the observation and analysis of types,color,texture,volume,and weight,along with use-wear traces on surfaces,this study provides important data for further understanding the using and functions of cupstones.In addition,this study helps identify the relationship between cupstones and perforated stone tools.
Military organization is a concept that emerged after the Second World War,and then became the foundation for military self-training and the critical component shaping the combating power.This concept includes several components:vertical management,collaboration mode of different combat units,and command communication.Through borrowing this modern concept,this paper explores the'military organization'of the Qin army based on the analysis of locations of various types of terracotta figurines in the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit no.1.In addition,in juxtaposing with historical texts,this paper also analyzes the combination of far-ranging,long,and short weapons,as well as the locations of flags,drums,and gold artifacts in the terracotta pits,as a way to cast light on the military organization of the Qin army.
In 2019,the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology conducted an excavation at the Jiezihe site in Huanglong County,in order to cooperate with the construction of the Huangpu highway.The excavation unearthed pits and tombs dating between the Early and Middle Spring-and-Autumn period.The types and assemblages of unearthed artefacts demonstrate a high resemblance to those found at the nearby Liujiawa site.This archaeological phenomenon indicates that the Jiezihe site may have represented a low-level settlement on the fringe of the Rui state.Additionally,the unprecedented discovery of gold spiral earrings and their co-existence with jade pendants jue slit rings reflects a unique process of cultural integration of the northern and Central Plains cultures.As such,the Jiezihe site provides valuable new clues for investigating the social hierarchy of the Rui state,its northern border,and its relationship with northern ethnic groups.
In July 2017,the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology excavated 22 ancient tombs to the south of Lijiazhai Village in Qinhan New City in order to cooperate with the construction of the Qinling Bio-industrial Park project in the Xixian New District in Shaanxi.This report presents excavation data from tomb no.M22,which is a Han dynasty tomb with a甲-shaped brick-chambered structure.The shape of the tomb shows a standardized planning with exquisite construction techniques.While the tomb was looted severely,it still yields some delicate burial goods.According to the geographical location and the shape of the tomb,this report suggests that the tomb was a high-rank aristocratic tomb in the late Western Han Dynasty,probably belonging to an accompany member associated with Emperor Chengdi.
